While Kagura Hitomi and Tony Stark were finalizing their battle plan, Aldrich Killian was already setting his sinister scheme into motion.
For Killian, recent days had been nothing short of a nightmare.
A.I.M. Advanced Idea Mechanics was practically done for.
Rhodes Island Industries had initiated a hostile takeover and restructuring of the company, leaving Killian's funds dwindling fast.
On top of that, his Extremis Virus attacks were continuously thwarted.
Even when explosions occurred, there were miraculously no casualties.
Every time he launched an attack in the name of the Mandarin, the crowds would mysteriously disperse as if they had foreseen the danger, rendering his efforts futile.
"What the hell? Are you all psychic or something?"
No, there had to be someone sabotaging him from the shadows.
Killian roared in frustration.
To make things worse, his assault on Tony Stark's mansion was effortlessly intercepted by Rhodes Island Industries.
In that battle, one of his most capable subordinates, "Cold Blood" Eric Savin, was killed.
Truly, a series of devastating losses.
Killian knew that dragging this out would only lead to further defeat.
His "final plan" had to be executed immediately.
What he couldn't understand was why that brat, Kagura Hitomi, was targeting him so relentlessly.
He hadn't messed with Rhodes Island Industries, nor had he made any inappropriate moves toward her.
Yet, within just a few days, Rhodes Island Industries waged a corporate war against A.I.M. and even assisted Tony Stark in defending his home.
(Killian roared in frustration once more…)
Thus, Killian decided to execute his "final plan" before Kagura and Rhodes Island Industries completely crushed him.
His goal: to seize control of the World Security Council and thereby gain authority over the Avengers.
Only then could he turn the tide in this silent war.
"No one can stop me from proving myself! I'll show the world who the true genius is!"
Killian declared to himself, "Superheroes? The Avengers? They're all just pawns. The one who holds true power controls the world."
Honestly, every supervillain's thought process seems eerily similar...
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As Kagura prepared to head to Washington, D.C., the Mandarin made yet another grand appearance.
Nationwide television signals were hijacked once more for what was likely Killian's final declaration of crime.
The Ten Rings' emblem flashed across every channel.
A series of chaotic images followed: wars, flames, and violent attacks.
Then, the Mandarin appeared on screen, looking down at the camera with an arrogant and chilling expression.
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"Americans, today I will teach you your final lesson. And the lesson is simple: The World Security Council is nothing but a lie."
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The Mandarin paused, letting the tension sink in before continuing.
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"They don't protect you. They only protect the elite few. You live in a world of deception. Soon, you will witness the true face of the World Security Council."
"Here's my advice to you."
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His tone remained arrogant and mysterious, sending chills down the viewers' spines.
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"Find a place to hide. Say your goodbyes to your loved ones. This world is about to change. Many will die. And when I ascend to the throne, a new era will begin."
"Do not resist. You are powerless against me."
"This time, no one will protect you. Not the Avengers. Not your so-called Iron Patriot or War Machine. Not the military, nor the police."
"I will see you soon, Americans."
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The broadcast ended.
"Damn, he starting to get cocky."
Inside the "Halo" transport aircraft, Kagura smirked. "So, he's targeting the World Security Council, huh?"
How foolish.
Did Killian really think that possessing a trump card like the Extremis Virus allowed him to ignore the existence of superheroes?
From their earlier investigations, Kagura and Tony had already uncovered Killian's plan to seize control of the World Security Council by attacking the military base in Washington, D.C.
By making such a bold declaration through the Mandarin, Killian made it clear that he wasn't planning a covert operation.
He wanted a direct showdown.
To be fair, Killian's confidence wasn't entirely baseless.
His army of Extremis soldiers possessed immense destructive power and regenerative abilities.
Unless their vital points were completely annihilated, they could rapidly heal from any injury.
In previous encounters, Kagura had dealt with these Extremis soldiers by using orbital defense weapons to bombard them from afar.
No matter how powerful the Extremis regeneration was, turning them to ashes left no room for recovery.
However, this time was different.
The World Security Council's top officials would be present at the Washington military base.
Using orbital strikes with such precision and destructive force was out of the question.
Moreover, these council members weren't ordinary civilians who could be scared off with some CTOS system hacking.
In Killian's grand plan, even if Rhodes Island Industries or the Avengers arrived, without an effective way to deal with the Extremis soldiers, they'd be fighting a losing battle.
And worse, if just one Extremis soldier self-detonated near the council members, the entire World Security Council would be wiped out.
From there, Killian could use the chaos to seize power by acting like they are the one who is fighting the Mandarin, disband the Avengers, and achieve world domination.
At least, that's what Killian believed.
"Alright, since you're so eager to die, let me graciously give you your final lesson."
Kagura stood up and entered the equipment bay to prepare for battle.
This time, to deal with the Extremis soldiers, she equipped her "White Moon" combat suit with the "Dragoon" module.
The "Dragoon" module specialized in deploying a swarm of micro-drones, providing large-scale support rather than enhancing the suit's direct combat capabilities.
Forty-eight specialized micro-drones, powered by miniature arc reactor capacitors, were stored throughout the suit's compartments, ready to be deployed at any moment.
And Kagura wouldn't be fighting alone.
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Washington D.C., Military Base Logistics Area
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way~"
Deadpool, dressed in a maid outfit with a wig and mask, had successfully infiltrated the base, blending in with the logistics staff.
He gracefully strutted towards the aircraft that would soon transport the World Security Council members, striking flamboyant poses that made everyone around him want to punch him.
Truly, a master of disguise...