Eddie had a video camera set up in front of him and a table in the middle. Next to him sat Shino Aburame, while a police officer recorded everything happening in the interview room.
Soon, the guard brought Trevor in. Instead of sitting down for the interview, Trevor started doing vocal exercises, mimicking a gorilla.
Eddie glanced at his watch and said, "Let's start when you're ready."
Trevor, still moving around, replied, "Vocal exercises, an old habit from my stage performance days."
Eddie smiled and asked, "When you accepted that role, did you ever imagine you'd end up in a place like this?"
Trevor, unfazed, responded, "Not bad, right? The whole public thing let me experience VIP treatment."
With that, Trevor stopped his exercises and took a seat at the table.
Eddie commented, "Seems like that role gave you a taste of a different life. You seem to be doing well here."
Trevor grinned, "I do miss those days. Ketamine, and obviously all those sexy ladies. In that castle, I was the undisputed master. You know what I mean."
He then turned to Shino and asked, "Is this young man your assistant? That headband, are you sure it's not a costume piece?"
Trevor didn't seem to grasp the significance of Shino's presence, assuming a ninja wouldn't be interested in him.
Eddie, keeping his tone light, replied, "Trust me, you don't want his attention."
Eddie admired and feared Shino. He had Venom inside him, but Shino hosted countless insects, which even made Venom uneasy with a kind of fear of crowds.
Shino, hidden in his coat with his hands in his pockets, remained silent.
Eddie then took out a notebook and pen, ready to write down the interview details. He opened the notebook and began, "Let's discuss Aldrich Killian's recruitment of you and the hybrid warlord created by his think tank."
Trevor interrupted, "I gave it life."
Eddie scoffed, "Based on my inquiries with the actors' guild and interviews with various production companies, Trevor Slattery, a Z-list actor with no notable roles, once made a living performing stage plays. He eventually lost his job due to drug addiction. I'm curious, how did Killian find and choose you for this role?"
Trevor, visibly excited, countered, "No, I once had a show on CS Television. 'Caged Heat,' a great piece about a Russian cop's revenge story. That was my masterpiece."
As he spoke, Trevor's enthusiasm was intense. Trevor gestured enthusiastically, emphasizing the excellence of his work.
However, Eddie smiled and said, "I did find out about it, but it was just a pilot episode that was quickly canceled due to poor reception."
Trevor, dejected, lowered his head. "Alright, I didn't think you'd find out about that."
Eddie pressed on, "So, why did Killian choose you?"
Trevor raised his head and looked at Eddie. "I hoped for a show that would be well-received, something that represented me."
"When he offered drugs, women, a mansion, and a yacht, I was moved and accepted his invitation to star in what was supposedly a movie but was actually a terrifying video."
"Killian needed someone to take the fall, but I gave that character life. People won't remember the Mandarin; they'll remember Trevor Slattery."
Eddie scribbled in his notebook. "A perfect fit, then. Good answer."
He continued, "When people heard I was coming to interview you, most asked me one question: How could you not know what was happening?"
Trevor paused before responding, "I lived in the mansion, just an actor. Killian never told me his plans. I only had three things: ketamine, women, and cameras. It's precisely because I knew nothing that you're able to interview me now, isn't it?"
Trevor clearly understood that admitting knowledge versus ignorance would result in vastly different legal outcomes.
Eddie pressed, "Is it that you didn't know, or you don't want to admit it? Being aware and involved makes you one of them, but being ignorant changes your trial's outcome entirely."
Trevor shrugged. "Didn't the court already rule on that? Clearly, I didn't know about his plans or this hybrid warlord model. I thought they were actors like me."
Eddie smiled, not pressing further. He pulled out a stack of documents from his briefcase and placed them on the table.
"If that's the case, let's talk about the character you played, the Mandarin."
"Trevor, you said you did thorough research when you got the role."
Eddie opened the documents, revealing photos of the warlord Tony Stark defeated in the Afghan desert, the Ten Rings symbol, and some ancient documents. These materials were partly obtained through Charles's channels and intelligence from Hawkeye.
"The Ten Rings, this terrorist organization, was once active in history. Officially, they were said to have ceased operations, but evidence suggests they never disappeared and are still active."
Trevor, shocked, exclaimed, "My god, the Ten Rings, they're real?"
Eddie, calm, replied, "They're well-documented."
"That's so cool!"
Eddie asked again, "So, your thorough research was?"
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