The long night had finally passed.
Silently, Kagura slipped away from Tony Stark's mansion, spent the night roaming the city, saving countless lives, and then sneaked back as if she had never left.
Thanks to her flawless puppet clone technique, Tony Stark never noticed a thing.
For Kagura, this had been a fruitful night.
First, while protecting Happy Hogan and others, the Argos Project's surveillance satellites had once again detected the unique heat signature of Extremis Virus outbreaks.
With the collected reconnaissance data, Rhodes Island Industries' global monitoring system was now capable of issuing real-time alerts for any Extremis-related incidents worldwide.
At the same time, experimental CTOS drone modules had been deployed across major cities.
These drones, using electronic infiltration and crowd dispersion tactics, could now prevent AIM's planned terrorist attacks before they resulted in civilian casualties.
Second, the unexpected appearance of Deadpool had earned Kagura a powerful—albeit eccentric—ally.
While Deadpool's combat ability was questionable (he had, in fact, been thoroughly beaten by Eric Savin just last night—what a scrub), his biggest strength was his immortality.
With Deadpool on her side, Kagura now had a reliable reconnaissance source and, at the very least, a disposable tank (or walking cannon fodder, depending on how you looked at it).
Most importantly, unlike the other Griffin members or the Avengers—whose assistance she needed to request—Deadpool had a personal vested interest in the Extremis Virus.
That meant no awkward favors or debts owed.
A nearly indestructible ally who also happened to be desperate?
Perfect tool guy material.
By the end of the night, Kagura had made significant progress in her mission to eliminate Dr. Aldrich Killian and his AIM accomplices.
With Rhodes Island Industries preparing to acquire AIM Technologies, all that remained was tracking down Killian and taking him out. If things proceeded smoothly, this crisis would soon be resolved.
And once Killian's faction was eliminated, the so-called "Mandarin" and his schemes would naturally collapse.
That meant completing her mission:
[Assist Tony Stark in eliminating the Mandarin's plot – 20QP]
Not only would she earn QP, but her core energy system would level up!
Kagura eagerly anticipated the new upgrades that would come with reaching Automaton Level 3.
However, while she was feeling good, Tony Stark was not.
In fact, he was absolutely furious.
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By morning, every major news channel was flooded with reports on last night's Los Angeles Theater District bombing.
News of Happy Hogan's involvement quickly reached Tony Stark.
Even though Happy had miraculously survived thanks to the intervention of a mysterious new hero, it didn't change the fact that Stark's longtime friend and loyal employee had been attacked—nearly killed.
Could he let this slide?
Hell no.
Originally, these terrorist attacks—which targeted military bases and civilians—should have been handled by the military or government agencies.
Normally, this had nothing to do with superheroes.
But now that his own people were involved?
Now that this threat had made the fight personal?
Iron Man wasn't going to stand by and do nothing.
He immediately launched a full-scale investigation into the Mandarin and his attack methods.
And right on cue, the Mandarin just had to rub salt in the wound.
If nothing else, Aldrich Killian certainly knew how to piss people off.
As people across the country tuned in to updates on the bombing, their screens suddenly flickered.
All television broadcasts were hijacked by an unknown source.
The symbol of the Ten Rings appeared, followed by a familiar, eerie voice.
"First, let me tell you a truth… about fortune cookies."
The screen flashed with war-torn landscapes, hostages, gunfire, and glimpses of the Mandarin himself.
"They look Asian, they sound Asian… but in reality, fortune cookies are 100% American-made."
In the background, the sound of screaming civilians, explosions, and distant gunfire filled the air.
"A complete fabrication. Hollow, filled with lies, and utterly tasteless."
The video cut to the Mandarin, clad in his signature robes and sunglasses, gazing down at the camera with a smug, superior smirk.
"America… are you ready for your final lesson?"
"Your graduation ceremony is here."
"An era is ending."
"Your era."
"But don't be sad—because mine… is about to begin."
The blatant declaration of war sent shockwaves through the country.
Panic spread. People questioned their safety.
Anger brewed as citizens criticized the U.S. government and military for their incompetence.
"The world's most powerful nation… and they can't even handle some clown pretending to be a terrorist?"
That day, Tony Stark visited Happy Hogan at the hospital for a precautionary check-up.
But the moment he stepped onto the street, he was swarmed by reporters.
"Mr. Stark! What's your take on the Mandarin?"
"Do you think the Avengers will intervene? Should they?"
"When is Iron Man going to take this guy down?"
These provocative questions only fueled Stark's growing rage.
Snatching the microphone from a reporter, he faced the camera directly.
"I've been thinking about what to say to this 'Mandarin,'" Stark began.
"But now I know exactly what I want to say."
For a moment, he paused, visibly holding back his emotions.
Then, his voice came low and sharp:
"Mandarin. I'm Tony Stark. And I'm not afraid of you."
"I know you're a coward, so listen up—you're already dead. I'll be coming for you myself. No military. No Avengers. No politics. Just you and me."
"And if you've got the guts—come find me."
"I live at 10880 Malibu Point, ZIP code 90265."
"Door's unlocked."
And with that, vengeance began.
For Kagura, this was the perfect opportunity to take down AIM and Killian.
'Don't worry, Mr. Stark.'
'Your house won't be destroyed—because I'm here.'
'Pepper won't cry—because I'm here.'
'And the villains?'
'They'll get exactly what's coming to them.'
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