Chapter 181: Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (Part 1)

"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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