Facts prove that sometimes one shouldn't be too complacent.
Tony Stark was proving the value of this statement very well.
As a billionaire, and even more so as the Superhero Iron Man, Tony never expected that right after he spoke harshly, the Mandarin would come knocking.
Three armed helicopters fired missiles at his villa, worth over a billion.
Along with the villa, it began to crumble and fall towards the sea's surface.
At the critical moment, Jarvis told Tony that Pepper and Maya Hansen had successfully gotten out.
Tony decisively recalled his armor, wrapping himself in it.
He originally wanted to take off and shoot down the helicopters, but the Mark 42 was just an engineering prototype. The flight system malfunctioned and couldn't start.
He could only passively endure the enemy's attack, being strafed by bullets inside the collapsing villa.
Even so, amidst the chaos, Tony managed to use items around him to shoot down two of the helicopters.
The second helicopter crashed directly into the villa, causing the entire structure to give way and plunge into the sea.
In the seawater, Tony's armor system malfunctioned completely.
The helicopter that had completed its mission turned to leave.
The emergency rescue system Tony had set up for the armor activated, carrying him away from the seabed and navigating autonomously.
***
"Mission accomplished."
The aircraft that had completed its mission was returning.
Just then.
A purple energy whip, formed from the Ten Rings, wrapped around its tail rotor.
Immediately after, a huge force pulled the helicopter down, causing it to crash rapidly to the ground.
The rotating propeller collided with the earth and was instantly scrapped.
The pilot inside died on the spot.
In the co-pilot seat, a man groggily opened his eyes.
He saw a figure slowly walk over. The Ten Rings condensed into a whip, and with one lash, it struck the helicopter, splitting it cleanly in half down the middle.
The Ten Rings flew back into Wenwu's hands. He stared at this subordinate of the Mandarin and said to his own man, "Take him back. Find out the location of their base from him."
The subordinate, wearing a mask, nodded, looked at the man in the co-pilot seat, and dragged him out.
Wenwu looked back at the collapsed villa. He didn't continue his actions and got into a car to leave.
Killian, who had issued the command, didn't know that he had already been targeted by the genuine Ten Rings.
He was watching the news, which reported that Tony Stark's fate was unknown, and he was very satisfied.
The humiliation Tony had inflicted upon him was still fresh in his memory.
Killian, who should have been full of passion, had once admired Tony Stark so much.
It's just a pity that Tony Stark, before becoming Iron Man, was completely unlikable.
"This is just the beginning, Tony Stark." Killian looked at the TV, and his phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the phone number; it was an unfamiliar one.
Killian answered.
"How about we play a game?" an invitation came from the other end of the phone.
Killian's expression froze slightly, and he frowned, asking, "Who are you?"
"Don't recognize my voice so quickly?" A deep chuckle came from the other end of the phone. "We've met, Killian."
Feeling the voice was very familiar, Killian gestured to his subordinate to start tracking the phone signal.
"You are... Mr. Wick?" Killian recognized the voice and smiled. "Have you thought it through?"
"No, I'm just here to play a game with you," John chuckled from the other end. "Just like the game you played with me."
Killian felt a slight unease. He twitched the corner of his mouth and smiled. "What game?"
"Let's see if you get killed first, or captured first," John said calmly. "You can try to escape, but I'm telling you, the prize for this game is something you want: the original Extremis Virus, and... the evolution serum."
Hearing the game's prize, Killian's breath hitched. He stared intently at the signal being tracked on the computer and said, "I will kill you."
"Try it," John said, playing with the original Extremis Virus. "Three tracks."
"I'll be waiting for you."
The call ended. Killian looked at the words 'Tracking Failed' on the screen.
His brow twitched. It seemed something very bad was about to happen.
Three tracks?
Where did three come from?
Killian felt a bit uneasy about that person.
People who are inscrutable always give others a sense of inexplicable panic.
***
The cold man who had sent Ferdinand to the hospital was walking in a hurry.
The Mandarin's terrorist attacks relied on the explosions caused by the Extremis Virus.
The explosion at the Grand Theatre became the very capital for the Mandarin to propagate terror.
The man who facilitated this matter needed to lay low for a while. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about returning to Killian's side, but a phone call from Killian had made it so he couldn't go back for the time being.
The man had no choice but to enter a hotel using a forged identity, preparing to leave New York the next day.
After checking in, he went to the bathroom to take a shower and relax.
The water flowed over his broad back. He looked down at his feet, lost in thought.
He was once an excellent soldier. On the battlefield in Afghanistan, his legs were blown off.
From then on, he became a cripple.
His military achievements on the battlefield didn't bring him any preferential treatment in life. Those annoying kids mocked him for being disabled.
Until he got an opportunity to become a test subject for the Extremis Virus.
The man did it without hesitation. He survived the evolution of the Extremis Virus.
He became an Extremis Soldier.
"Is what I'm doing right?"
He began to think about everything that happened at the Grand Theatre.
A soldier who should have been defending this country became the prime culprit of terror in this country.
A layer of gloom covered the man's face. He was struggling internally.
But without the Extremis Virus, he would only be a cripple.
A useless person who served the country, was injured, and then mocked.
He turned off the water, wiped the water from his face with his hands, and dried his body with a towel.
Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked out of the bathroom.
He picked up the dog tag he wore when he became a soldier.
Looking at the name and service time on it.
"Jalil Al-Arish."
This was the man's name. He ran his fingers over it and put it around his neck.
His wavering heart found no peace.
Looking out the window at the city, which seemed as if the terrorist attack had never happened. The beauty of the night, and the streets illuminated by neon lights.
He was lost in it.
After all, his heart found it difficult to be at peace.
Perhaps giving up is a very good choice.
The moment he turned around.
His expression froze. He looked down at his chest, which had been pierced through.
He raised his eyes, his lips moved, but he couldn't speak. Orange-red light covered his skin.
A bright line sliced across his neck. His eyes became vacant, and the light dimmed.
The head on his neck gradually slid off, falling onto the wooden floor like a ball, making 'thudding' sounds.
His body fell. Blood seeped from his neck, spreading onto the floor.
Dax, who had changed into a new combat suit, expressionlessly sheathed the sharp blade in his hand.
He took out a list and used Jalil Al-Arish's blood to cross off the name on it.
"The first one."
There was madness and bloodlust in Dax's eyes.
He felt the earth-shattering changes in his body. That immense energy, like a volcanic eruption, was surging through him continuously, roaring like a beast, demanding blood and violence to witness its rebirth.
Dax walked towards the door he had cut open and left.
It wasn't until the room service staff arrived that they discovered this headless corpse.
The game has begun.
Among the three tracks, Dax began his hunt.
***
Rose Hill, Tennessee.
The alarm from the Iron Man suit woke Tony.
Only after waking up did Tony realize his current location.
Without thinking further, the Mark 42, low on power, crashed into the snow.
This flight plan directly brought him thousands of miles to Tennessee.
The impact and lack of energy caused Jarvis to go into hibernation.
Tony could only drag the armor by himself, looking for a way in this unfamiliar small town.
He decided not to go back until he found the Mandarin and resolved the danger, then he would return to reunite with Pepper.
It was a snowy day and also nighttime.
Tony was wearing thin clothes. The dignified billionaire had to strip a piece of clothing from a statue of an Indian chief.
He sent a message to Pepper telling her not to worry.
Tony trespassed into a private residence and met a little boy.
This third track had a slightly rough starting point, but it was harmless.
John, far away in New York, was drinking coffee, looking forward to seeing who would deal with the Mandarin first.
While he was at it, he would research the thing Killian regarded as a treasure.
The path to the evolution of the Ultimate Creature.
***********
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