Naturally, Tony and Rhodes couldn't leave as freely as the others.
After all, as Americans, they felt an obligation to rescue their President.
How they were going to get there, however, was a problem.
Tony had his armor, but it needed to be recharged after the long flight from Tennessee to Florida. Rhodes had nothing.
After a brief discussion, the two unanimously decided to go by boat.
And where did the boat come from?
The actor, Trevor Slattery, had very thoughtfully told Tony that he owned a very cool speedboat. This was, after all, one of the perks of playing the Mandarin. Women, drugs, and a cool boat—life couldn't be more comfortable.
On the speeding boat, Tony and Rhodes were discussing who to call.
They decided to notify the Vice President first.
After sending the message, Tony held his phone, hesitating.
"What are you thinking about?" Rhodes asked, glancing at Tony while steering the boat.
After learning that Killian was going to kidnap the President and head to the pier, they knew they needed help.
Tony squeezed his phone, his expression conflicted.
At this moment, the best helper he could think of was John.
But given John's nature, saving a President was probably an optional side quest for him.
Tony, thinking of Pepper's safety, decided to make the call.
The call connected.
"How is Pepper?" he asked directly.
John, on the other end of the phone, sounded genuinely puzzled. "How are you so sure she's here with me?"
The complete lack of concern for his own well-being made Tony complain inwardly. He suspected that if he hadn't called, John probably wouldn't have given his situation a second thought. It was as if all the news reports about Tony Stark's unknown fate didn't exist.
Tony suppressed his resentment. "I told Pepper that if something happened, she should go to your place."
"Are you playing the noble hero, entrusting your wife to my care?" John asked, a note of surprise in his voice.
Tony pressed his throbbing temples, calming himself. "Someone is impersonating the Iron Patriot and heading to the President's flight."
"Oh." John's tone was flat.
Tony knew he would react like this. He changed the subject. "Guess what I found out. Killian, your father's subordinate."
"He's ambitious and wants to ruin your father's company."
A.I.M. belonged to his father; Wick was the major shareholder. Wasn't that his company?
"Don't worry about this," John said, glancing at Maya Hansen, who was sitting restlessly in his house, drinking. "If you kill him, I don't mind."
The main researcher is already in my hands, he thought. What is a Killian?
Those words almost made Tony curse. If I could kill him now, would I still need to be calling you?
Tony took a deep breath, carefully choosing his words. "Help me stop Killian's plot, and I..."
He gritted his teeth, glanced at Rhodes who was blatantly eavesdropping, turned his body sideways, and whispered, "I'll tell you about the conflict between me and your Dad."
This piqued John's interest.
Tony had said before that his father had tried to kill him.
John had known Tony for a while. Although Tony was arrogant, like a flashy peacock, he didn't seem to meet his father's criteria for making enemies. Taran Industries and Stark Industries had no direct conflict. Even with Hammer Industries, his father had acquired shares but never participated in management.
He really couldn't imagine what Tony had done to make his father want to kill him.
Now that Tony brought it up, John admitted he was tempted.
"I'll think about it."
With that, John hung up.
He looked at the already tipsy Maya Hansen and complained, "Why are you staying at my house?"
He didn't really like having people other than family staying over.
Pepper, who had already taken off her high heels and put on slippers, replied confidently, "Because we have nowhere else to go!"
Afraid of being caught by Killian, Pepper had simply decided to stay at John's. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have known Maya's true intentions. As expected, the safe house designated by Tony was reliable.
Even Maya Hansen, Tony's one-night stand, was drinking to drown her sorrows now that her plan was exposed.
Hattie entered, no longer bothering to ring the doorbell and letting MOSS open the door directly. She was resentful. John's phone was still rejecting calls, forcing her to leave a comfortable bath and come over in person.
"I couldn't reach you by phone, so they asked me to relay a message," Hattie said, getting straight to the point. "The Secretary of State hopes you will intervene."
"Let me guess, the President was kidnapped?" John wasn't surprised.
Hattie nodded. "He hopes you can rescue the President."
"In return, he will increase the Steel Soldiers order and cancel the trade restrictions against Taran Industries."
Last time Secretary of State Lute came, he wanted Hammer Industries to change its leadership. Although he failed, he still placed some restrictions on Taran's business.
He was already considering Tony's offer. Now, with additional benefits, John felt that going out wasn't a bad thing.
Tony had already sent the address of the pier.
As for why he looked for John? Among the people Tony knew, only John had the ability for rapid, long-distance support. The other Avengers were unavailable or lacked the means. Having seen John's methods, he knew a long-distance rescue was no problem for a Wizard.
***
The Extremis Soldier disguised as the Iron Patriot was already airborne with the plane.
The President, due to the Mandarin's threat, had specifically asked the Iron Patriot to protect him. This, in turn, was used by Killian.
The fake Iron Patriot killed everyone on the plane. Combined with the invulnerable armor, the Extremis Soldier quickly subdued the President's bodyguards. The armor was programmed to lock the President inside and take off.
The real Iron Man armor arrived just in time, engaging in a fierce battle with the remaining soldier, finally blasting the man's heart with a palm cannon. However, the explosion breached the hull, sucking the crew members out of the plane.
Tony, still on the boat, was controlling his armor remotely, performing a high-difficulty gliding rescue and saving all thirteen crew members. This high-wire act was a significant drain on his mental energy.
After a long journey by water, the sky had already darkened when Tony and Rhodes finally arrived at the pier for Killian's final act.
This was the last step of his plan: to execute the President as the Mandarin.
The incident would be framed as ethnic hatred, and no one would suspect him or the Vice President he supported. With the President dead, the Vice President would take office, and Killian, controlling him from behind the scenes, would become the most powerful person in the country.
The plan was perfect.
The only flaws were that Pepper was not caught and Maya Hansen was gone.
Killian felt a surge of anxiety.
"John Wick." Killian's eyes were full of gloom.
The creator of the Extremis Virus was with John. It seemed he still had to start with him.
Savin's death was also very strange. Killian had seen the body; his heart had been dug out. As his boss, Killian knew how strong Savin was. To have his heart ripped out without any resistance, how powerful must the killer be?
This person was shrouded in mist, impossible to see clearly.
For now, he focused his attention on Tony and Rhodes, who appeared on the monitor.
"Use that arrogant, smart brain of yours to complete all of this for me."
Killian stared at Tony; this person had the capital to be proud. He was also the person Killian hated most.
Now it was time to repay the debt.
Killian wanted to capture Tony and force him to complete the full development of the Extremis Virus.
Tony, cautiously following behind Rhodes, suddenly shivered.
He felt a chill run down his spine, the distinct feeling of being a target.
Could it be that someone had improper thoughts about him?
No way!
(End of Chapter)
***
(End of Chapter)
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