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71.42% Marvel : Super Soldier at the Start / Chapter 165: Lunatic

Chapitre 165: Lunatic

The White House, Oval Office 

Following the dismantling of both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra by the Avengers, numerous members of the Senate, military, and state officials found themselves implicated to varying degrees. 

The President was fervently strategizing with his team on how to leverage the vacant positions to benefit their party when a phone vibrated on the table. 

The Vice President retrieved his phone, and upon seeing the caller ID, his expression changed. He gestured apologetically to the President and others, then stepped outside to take the call. 

"You shouldn't be calling me right now! I'm in the White House, in a meeting with the President. Damn it, do you realize the risk I'm taking just answering this call?" 

Walking farther from the Secret Service agents stationed nearby, the Vice President answered, his voice tense. 

"Relax, Mr. Vice President. Don't forget our arrangement. I have a minor issue that needs your assistance in cleaning up," came the calm, indifferent voice on the other end. 

"What?" 

The Vice President's voice rose involuntarily before he realized his outburst. He glanced around nervously, ensuring no one was paying attention, then lowered his voice. 

"Damn it, you've gotten involved with the Avengers and kidnapped Pepper Potts and Natasha Romanoff. Do you have any idea what they call that man Blake here? A lunatic. A one-man army capable of taking on an entire battalion. You've picked the worst possible person to provoke!" 

Wiping sweat from his forehead, he took a deep breath to steady himself. 

"I'm already regretting our deal. Your actions are going to get us all killed!" 

"You're overestimating those costumed clowns. The Avengers? They're nothing to me. Besides, I didn't do this for fun; it's for you. Our current product isn't stable, and the success rate is far too low. Is there any better experimental material than a highly trained Avenger from the Red Room?" 

"Furthermore, we have Pepper Potts. If necessary, we can force Tony Stark to help us resolve the instability issues with Extremis. Injecting her with the virus would leave Stark with no choice but to cooperate." 

"And let's not forget, Mr. Vice President, how much you value your little princess. Wouldn't it be tragic if, after regaining her ability to walk and enjoying a day in the garden with her dog, she suddenly... exploded?" 

"Frankly, if this weren't such a critical time, I'd almost welcome those 'clowns' showing up at our door." 

The mention of his daughter silenced the Vice President. 

The voice on the other end waited patiently. 

After half a minute, the Vice President finally asked for the details of the situation. Once the conversation ended, he made two additional calls before adjusting his attire and composure, returning to the Oval Office. 

---

Back at the Avengers 

"We've expanded our search to cover more than 30 streets around the Chinese Theatre, reviewing all surveillance systems in the area. What's intriguing is that nearly half the surveillance footage for the hour following the explosion is mysteriously missing." 

"I don't believe in coincidences. The only explanation is that someone deliberately erased the evidence to keep us from finding them." 

"Also, team, I need access to the Widows' intelligence network and operational authority to monitor external movements. We need every advantage to locate Natasha and Miss Potts as quickly as possible." 

Agent Hill, brought in by Hawkeye, had seamlessly integrated into the Avengers and taken charge of their intelligence operations at his suggestion. 

"Though we don't have direct leads on their whereabouts yet, we do have some good news!"

Agent Hill began speaking as she brought out a tablet and played a video. 

The video featured a Middle Eastern man with a long beard, embodying strong Islamic influences, claiming responsibility for the explosion at the Chinese Theatre. 

The video was a chaotic montage, showing scenes of him praying for Islamic children, interspersed with footage of him using a rifle to shoot through a picture of the U.S. President. 

In the final shot, the man appeared in close-up, staring provocatively into the camera as he spoke: 

 

"Blake, Tony Stark, Avengers, superheroes—you claim to save the world. This time... let's see if the two of you can save the women you love!" 

"Damn bastard!" 

Tony slammed his fist on the table, then turned to look at Blake. 

"Don't look at me. The footage is too chaotic, and there's no clear location. If I knew where he was, I'd have already opened a portal," Blake said, visibly frustrated. 

He was telling the truth—though he suspected Killian from the start, he had no idea where the man was hiding. 

Just as the group at the Sky Base was grappling with their next move, they received a call from the hospital. Happy had woken up. Though his injuries were severe, he was finally out of danger. 

Tony immediately dragged Blake to the hospital. 

At the hospital entrance, they were greeted by a throng of reporters. As soon as Blake and Tony appeared, they were surrounded by a sea of journalists. 

"Mr. Blake, Mr. Stark, do you have any comments on the Mandarin's terrorist attack? Do you believe you can rescue your girlfriends?" 

"The Mandarin has claimed responsibility for several prior bombings. Will the Avengers declare an all-out war on him?" 

"If they use the hostages to force you into committing atrocities or orchestrating terror attacks, would you compromise?" 

Countless microphones were thrust so close to their faces that they were nearly touching. 

Tony was about to lose his temper when Blake abruptly snatched one of the microphones from a reporter and, in full view of everyone, crushed it into powder. 

"I'm in a very bad mood right now. Extremely bad. Will I compromise? I don't know. But I do know this—if I lose control of my temper and accidentally kill a few reporters, will the police come after me?" 

His cold gaze sent a chill through the crowd, and the reporters instinctively backed away several steps. 

"We will rescue them. And I have a warning for the cowards who did this: You're nothing but a bunch of spineless fools who only know how to target women. Weaklings. Cowards. If you want to challenge the Avengers, come straight to our base. I'll be here waiting for you!" 

With a wave of his hand, Blake opened a massive portal in the sky. The Sky Base instantly relocated from New York to Los Angeles, hovering less than a kilometer above the city. 

Now, anyone in Los Angeles could simply look up to see the floating Sky Base. 

"Do you know the difference between us and you? We're tigers—visible to the entire world, yet no one dares to confront us head-on. You? You're nothing but rats, scurrying in the shadows without the courage to show your faces."

*******************************************

You can get access to early chapters on patr*on.

If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.

My patr*on account is S_Pandey_0170


Chapitre 166: Maya

Blake's challenge was childish, like a kindergartener sticking out his bottom and saying, "Come hit me! Come on!" 

But it worked like a charm on Killian. Perhaps it was because the cold winds he endured alone on the rooftop over a decade ago had blown away his composure, or maybe the Extremis virus's heat had left him with a fiery temper. 

Watching Blake and Tony's challenge on TV nearly caused Killian to lose control of his body temperature. In a fit of rage, he melted one table and three chairs before finally regaining some calm. 

Not far from him, Eric Savin, the man who had taken Natasha and Pepper from the Grand Theater in China, casually chewed gum. 

"You don't need to get so worked up. If you're upset about those clowns' boasts, I can teach them a lesson for you. I'd also like to see if that so-called Blake, whose body can withstand bullets, can handle my hands." 

Eric Savin's hands turned into molten lava as he licked his lips and spoke. 

Since acquiring the Space Stone, Blake had rarely used his flame powers in public. Initially, it was due to their limited strength, and later, there simply hadn't been an opportunity. 

As a result, Killian and his team's assessment of Blake's combat abilities remained stuck at the Battle of Wakanda. 

"You can't go. Our plan has just started, and we must secure the Iron Patriot. Everything is for the ultimate goal. Send someone else for now," Killian said expressionlessly, staring at the monitor on the wall. 

The screen showed Natasha and Pepper tied to a chair designed for experiments. 

Meanwhile, Happy could barely move, with only his eyes and two fingers functional. Despite this, he struggled to write "Killian" on a piece of paper. 

"Investigate everything about this person!" Blake handed the paper with Killian's name to Agent Hill. 

"Tony, I think you can take off the armor now. It feels awkward talking to you like this. I swear, Natasha and Pepper will be fine. Trust me!" 

"I know! They'll be fine, but right now… if I take off the armor, I feel like I can't breathe!" 

Blake glanced at Tony, who was completely encased in his armor. 

"Although I know your air circulation system is excellent, if you feel breathing is easier inside the armor, I'll drop the argument…" 

Just as Blake was about to console Tony, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice interrupted. 

"Mr. Stark, someone has come to the company to see you. As you know, Happy and Miss Potts are not here, so the executives have triggered the emergency button. I checked—it's a young woman, and according to your taste, she's quite attractive." 

"I'm not in the mood to meet any women right now. J.A.R.V.I.S., send her away. If she refuses, have security escort her out and arrange a car for her." 

Due to Tony's infamous past, it wasn't uncommon for women who had once had flings with him to show up at Stark Industries. 

Some claimed to be his girlfriend, while others even asserted they were carrying his child. 

Normally, Pepper and Happy handled these situations, but with both absent, the company executives, unable to reach Tony and afraid to act on their own, triggered the emergency protocol and contacted J.A.R.V.I.S. 

Two minutes later, J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke again. 

"Mr. Stark, I'm afraid you need to meet this young woman. She says she has information about Miss Potts." 

Blake and Tony exchanged glances. 

Ten seconds later, in one of Stark Industries' meeting rooms...

"Maya Hansen? I hope what you told J.A.R.V.I.S. is true. Don't tell me there's a twelve-year-old boy waiting for me in the car outside." 

In the movie, Tony initially feigned ignorance, but with Pepper absent, he directly called out the woman's name. 

Unlike his other one-night stands, Tony was impressed by this woman's dedication to science and her creativity. 

"I'm surprised you remember me. I'm not joking, Tony. Do you remember Killian?" 

Killian—a name Tony had been hearing more than once recently. 

Maya Hansen began recounting events from over a decade ago: Killian, the fake terrorist "Mandarin," the human experiments Killian conducted, and everything in between. 

"Our project was initially funded by the military, but the results were so unstable, often leading to explosions, that the military cut the funding. Killian even approached Miss Potts for investment, but she turned him down!" 

"So this is revenge because Pepper rejected his investment proposal?" 

Tony sounded incredulous. 

"No. It's actually because the Extremis virus was incredibly unstable. Remember that exploding plant? From plants to humans... because of the formula you casually scribbled for me back then..." 

Maya pointed to Tony's head and made a helpless expression. 

"So they think I can solve the instability issue, and that's why they kidnapped Pepper?" 

Tony suddenly felt like he'd been played for a fool. It turned out the entire chain of events was his doing. 

The so-called terrorist was a poor scientist he had forgotten on a rooftop years ago, and their core technology and weapons stemmed from a formula he had casually jotted down. 

"Exactly. But what happened at the Grand Theater in China was an accident. A retired soldier who had undergone our experiments exploded there. Your girlfriends just happened to be in the vicinity, so they were taken along as a convenient afterthought." 

Maya Hansen's speech became faster, her urgency evident. 

"One last question. Why should I trust you? You worked with Killian for over a decade on this project. Why are you choosing to tell me all of this now?" 

Tony's skepticism was apparent. 

"Because my original goal was to use this for limb regeneration in humans, not to create terrifying biochemical weapons that turn people into indestructible monsters who can become molten lava or explode. Killian wants to use this to build an army. That's not what I signed up for!" 

Maya Hansen shook her head emphatically. 

"You have to believe me. We don't have much time. I'm not sure if anyone followed me here. We need to find a safe place and figure out our next steps." 

Her urgency increased. 

"You have no idea how terrifying those who've succeeded are. They're completely impervious to damage. Even if you cut off their limbs, they regenerate instantly. And they can emit heat of up to 3,000 degrees!" 

*******************************************

You can get access to early chapters on patr*on.

If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.

My patr*on account is S_Pandey_0170


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