Chapter 180: Desperate Virus (Conclusion)

"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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