Outside the Malibu Villa's floor-to-ceiling windows, the setting Sun dyed the Pacific Ocean a blood-red hue.
Chen Tian leaned back on the sofa, his silver hair glinting in the lingering light. He held a can of cola, his gaze following the golden-red figure pacing back and forth in the living room—Tony, fully armored in his suit, pacing in the living room.
"You changed your lines at the press conference," Chen Tian suddenly said, his voice lazy but with a hint of helplessness, "I didn't expect you to directly announce your home address."
Tony stopped, his faceplate sliding open with a 'whoosh,' revealing his taut face: "It was a last-minute decision. That old bastard likes to play mind games? Good, I'll put the battlefield directly in front of him."
Chen Tian sighed, placing the cola can on the coffee table: "You know what this means, right? The Ten Rings Gang's madmen might already be on their way."
"The more the merrier," Tony sneered, the mechanical 'clack' of his armor's finger joints echoing. "It saves us the trouble of searching for them all over the World."
Just then, the Villa's front door was violently pushed open. Pepper walked in quickly on high heels, her blonde hair slightly disheveled, her face flushed with anger.
"Tony Stark!" Her voice almost tore off the roof, "Are you crazy? Announcing our home address on a global live broadcast?"
Tony turned around, offering a reassuring smile: "Hey, sweetie, let me explain—"
"Explain what?" Pepper snatched the holographic remote control from the coffee table and brought up the news footage.
The screen was looping Tony's declaration, with the headline 'Iron Man Publicly Challenges Terrorist Organization' scrolling below.
She pointed sharply out the floor-to-ceiling window—in the distance, dozens of media vans had surrounded the Villa, their telephoto lenses aimed directly at their living room.
"See those cameras?" Pepper's voice was extremely low, yet laced with sharp fury, "The whole World knows where we are now, including the Ten Rings Gang! You've not only turned our home into a battlefield, but also into a reality show set!"
Chen Tian wisely stood up, ready to quietly slip away, but Pepper's gaze pinned him to the spot.
"And you!" She turned to Chen Tian, her finger almost touching his nose, "You just watched him make a mess?"
Chen Tian raised his hands in a gesture of surrender: "I swear I had no idea, but you know this guy's temper—"
"Enough!" Pepper took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She walked up to Tony, having to look up due to his armor's height, "Take off that metal, Tony. Now."
Surprisingly, Tony complied. The nano-armor receded like flowing Water, revealing his slender figure in a black T-shirt. He reached out to hug Pepper, but she dodged him.
"I'm not joking," Pepper's voice trembled slightly, "Our newly renovated house, our home, is now a battlefield? A globally broadcast shooting range?"
Tony's expression softened: "Pepper, listen, this is the fastest way. Mandarin wants a show? I'll give him a stage. He wants to prove Arbitrators are helpless? I'll show him what real power is."
He pointed to the media vehicles outside the window: "Those cameras? Perfect. Let the whole World see clearly what the Ten Rings Gang is truly up against."
The doorbell rang abruptly, breaking the tense atmosphere in the living room.
"Sir," Jarvis's voice came from the ceiling, "Captain Rogers requests entry."
Tony raised an eyebrow: "Let him in."
The door slid open automatically, and Steve walked in fully armed. He wore his iconic dark blue combat suit, his star-spangled shield on his back, and his brow furrowed beneath his blonde hair. When he saw Chen Tian in the living room, his footsteps noticeably paused.
Chen Tian lazily raised his cola can in a salute: "Long time no see, Captain."
Steve nodded slightly in response, his gaze lingering on Chen Tian's relaxed expression for a second, then turning to Tony: "What's going on here?" His voice was serious, "Why would you do this?"
Tony spread his hands: "Woah, what a day? Everyone's coming to my house for a criticism session?"
"Tony," Steve ignored his teasing, "I saw your declaration on the news. Publicly challenging the Ten Rings Gang? And exposing your address to the whole World's cameras?"
Pepper snorted coldly, crossing her arms: "Finally, someone sensible."
"Hey!" Tony protested unhappily, "I have my plan, okay?"
Steve walked up to Tony, his blue eyes looking directly at him: "Then explain it to me. Why turn yourself into a living target?"
Tony's expression gradually became serious. He snapped his fingers, and a holographic map immediately projected in the center of the living room, marking all of the Ten Rings Gang's recent attack locations.
"Look at this pattern," Tony's finger traced over the blinking red dots, "Mandarin specifically targets vulnerabilities in defense systems. Seven attack locations, all in countries not part of the global defense system."
Chen Tian added: "He's very likely hiding in a country not part of the defense system."
Steve frowned, studying the map: "So your response is... to turn your home into bait?"
Tony took a deep breath, "The biggest obstacle preventing us from finding this guy right now is the so-called 'law.'"
"Without authorization, we cannot unilaterally conduct large-scale search operations within these countries."
Tony snorted, "Based on Jarvis's analysis of Mandarin's expressions and actions, he is an extremely arrogant and showy person."
He turned to look at the long lenses of the media outside, "Then I'll give him the biggest stage. I believe he will cherish this performance."
Steve was silent for a few seconds after hearing Tony's words. He knew Tony too well—once this stubborn genius made up his mind about something, even HYDRA's brainwashing device might not change it.
He sighed, raising a hand to rub his temples: "So this is your plan? Turn your home into a battlefield and wait for that madman to bring his army to party?"
Tony shrugged, a characteristic mischievous smirk playing on his lips: "At least I'm the host of this party."
Steve's gaze swept over the flickering media lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, then looked at Pepper, who stood to the side with a still-unhappy expression. He turned to Tony, "What do you need me to do?"
Tony seemed to have been waiting for this question. He tilted his head towards Pepper: "Help me take her to Arbitrator Tower."
"Tony!" Pepper immediately protested, but Steve had already walked to her side, gently taking her arm.
"Miss Potts," Steve's voice was gentle, yet firm, "It's going to get very dangerous here soon."
Pepper shook off his hand and turned to Tony: "I don't need to be protected! I can—"
"No, you can't." Tony uncharacteristically interrupted her, his faceplate already covering his face again, "This isn't a board meeting negotiation, Pepper. This is war."
The two looked at each other across the armor for a few seconds, and finally, Pepper's shoulders slumped. She bit her lip and nodded, but before leaving, she still poked Tony's chest plate hard: "If you dare to blow up our house, I'll make you pay with all your collectible sports cars."
Tony's mouth twitched under his faceplate: "Deal."
Before Steve escorted Pepper out of the living room, he saw Chen Tian's playful expression, hesitated, and then added to Tony: "Bucky is lurking in the rocky area along the coastline. He'll intercept attackers coming from the Water as much as possible."
Tony raised an eyebrow at that, "Woah, Winter Soldier himself as a sniper? Should I feel honored?"
Steve didn't reply, just gave Chen Tian a deep look, his eyes a mix of wariness and some complex emotion. Finally, he said nothing and left the living room with Pepper.
After Tony saw Steve leave with Pepper, a weight lifted from his heart. He walked over to Chen Tian, his armor's faceplate retracting again, revealing a serious expression: "Seriously, why are you getting involved in this?"
In the distance, the first star had already appeared in the twilight. Chen Tian was sprawled on Tony's sofa, limp as a rag, "How could I miss out on such a good show?"
Saying that, he winked at Tony, "At least with me here, maybe I can help you save a few sports cars."
Tony laughed, "No need, they won't get in."
— — — —
The last ray of the setting Sun sank below the horizon, and the lights inside the Villa automatically brightened, illuminating the living room as if it were daytime.
Chen Tian still slumped lazily on the sofa, his gaze thoughtfully directed out the French windows—where media cameras were still aimed at the Villa, flashlights flashing in quick succession.
"Looks like tonight will be lively," He chuckled, a hint of playfulness in his tone.
Tony stood in front of the holographic projection, his fingers rapidly sliding through data streams, his armor's faceplate already re-sealed. "Jarvis, activate all defense protocols, including—"
His words were interrupted by the doorbell.
"Sir," Jarvis's voice sounded, "A visitor requests entry."
Tony frowned: "Who?"
"Dr. Maya Hansen."
The name made Tony's movements visibly pause. The faceplate 'whooshed' open, revealing his confused expression. "Maya Hansen?" He turned to Jarvis, frowning, "That name sounds familiar…"
"Sir," Jarvis gently reminded, "According to records, you had a brief encounter with Dr. Hansen at a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 1999. At that time, she presented you with preliminary research on neural regeneration technology."
Tony raised an eyebrow: "1999? I was dead drunk that night, I don't remember anything." He turned to Chen Tian, "Do you know her?"
Chen Tian shrugged.
Tony ignored his gesture and, after hesitating for a few seconds, said, "Let her in."
The main door slid open, and Maya stood at the entrance, her beige trench coat still damp with the night dew. Her brown hair was loosely tied back, and her face, though tired, still bore exquisite makeup. Seeing Tony's expression as if looking at a stranger, a bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"It seems I overestimated my presence." She walked directly towards Tony, taking a data chip from her trench coat pocket. "But that's not important. What's important is that I know why the Ten Rings Gang specifically targets countries not included in the defense system."
Tony's faceplate was fully retracted, but the armor's defense system remained on high alert. "Interesting," He said, crossing his arms, "A woman who claims to know me but I don't remember, suddenly appears at My home, and claims to know the Terrorists' plan?"
Maya ignored his sarcasm and handed the chip directly to Tony, motioning for Tony to look at it himself.
Tony inserted the chip into the coffee table. Jarvis, through the armor, confirmed the chip had no issues. Tony then signaled Jarvis to expand the holographic projection, displaying complex molecular structures and energy fluctuation simulations.
"Extremis 2.0," Her voice suddenly became professional, "Based on bio-electric technology, aimed at repairing human damage." She paused, a bitter smile playing on her lips, "The interesting thing is, the core algorithm of this virus… was invented by you."
Tony's expression instantly froze. "What?"
"New Year's Eve, 1999," Maya's voice carried a hint of sarcasm, "You were in My laboratory, dead drunk, and casually wrote the formula on a napkin." She looked up, directly into Tony's eyes, "I spent years researching neural regeneration technology, and you… solved all the key problems in just one drunken night."
Tony opened his mouth but said nothing. Chen Tian had, at some point, stood behind him, his eyes under his silver hair glinting with amusement.
"So those attacks…" Chen Tian began.
"Were all a diversion." Maya finished his sentence, her finger gliding across the holographic image, bringing up a set of satellite images. "Look here, after each attack, there was an AIM research team collecting data."
Tony suddenly grabbed her wrist: "Wait, AIM? Aldrich Killian? Isn't he still looking for investment? How could he do something so crazy?"
A flicker of pain crossed Maya's eyes: "Crazier than you imagine. He combined the formula you left with My research and turned it into a weapon." She pulled free from Tony's hand. "Now he plans to use this to paralyze the global defense system during the United Nations Congress tomorrow."
Jarvis suddenly interjected: "Sir, satellite image analysis complete. Confirming traces of AIM researchers at the last three attack sites."
Tony's faceplate instantly closed. "Jarvis, contact Rhodes and Captain immediately!"
Chen Tian had already put on his black trench coat. "Looks like we'll have to split up."
Maya suddenly grabbed Tony's armor arm: "Wait! There's something more important—Killian knows you'll deploy your main force to protect the Villa. Tonight's attack is just a diversion, the real target is…"
"Arbitrator Tower." Tony finished, his voice coming through the armor, "That's the control center for the defense system." He turned to Maya, "Why are you helping us?"
A decisive look flashed in Maya's eyes: "Because the technology I created is killing innocent people. And…" She gave a bitter laugh, "Killian has gone mad; he plans to use the virus to control the World's nervous system."
She looked up at Tony's armor, her voice suddenly very soft: "Do you know? For more than a decade, I've been researching that formula you left… and you don't even remember writing it."
"Sir!" Jarvis's voice was urgent, "Detecting twenty Extremis carriers approaching from the beach! Estimated contact in 15 seconds!"
Tony's armor weapon systems were all online. He looked out the window—twenty figures glowing orange-red were rushing towards the Villa at an astonishing speed. Where they passed, the lawn burned, and the stone melted.
Tony was about to order Jarvis to activate the defense system when the lights inside the Villa suddenly flickered violently, then all went out. The entire hall plunged into darkness.
"Jarvis?" Tony quickly asked Jarvis about the situation.
The HUD interface inside the armor suddenly fluctuated violently, and Jarvis's voice came through: "Sir, the system has been infiltrated, the firewall has been breached, and all defense protocols within the Villa are failing…"
Tony's pupils constricted, his expression under the faceplate instantly frozen.
"Impossible." He whispered, his voice filled with disbelief, "Jarvis's firewall was designed by Me personally, no one can—"
Chen Tian stood up and slowly walked towards the group of charging Extremis Soldiers. "Don't think so much, Tony, there must be an inside man among us."
He drew the Azure Rose from his leg. "So, let's deal with them ourselves."
Saying that, he turned to look at Tony, his eyes carrying a playful disdain, "Iron Man, you're not scared, are you?"
A smile flashed under Tony's faceplate, and the energy core suddenly erupted in dazzling blue light, the thrusters spewing hot afterburners.
"Scared?" Tony's voice was full of pride, "Kid, are you kidding me?"
Before he finished speaking, Tony's armor's mechanical wings expanded from his back, and laser swords popped out from his wrists.
He turned to Maya, "Maya, go hide in the laboratory downstairs, it's very safe there."
After speaking, he again faced the Extremis Soldiers charging from outside.
"Kid, watch closely, learn well!" Tony laughed loudly, and the six mechanical wings behind him spewed out photon wings, carrying him out of the hall.
Chen Tian saw Tony impatiently rush out of the Villa, then turned to look at Maya, giving her a slight smile, a smile with an unclear meaning.
Then, he turned his head, and his figure also shot out of the Villa like a flash of lightning.
Once the two left, Maya's previously somewhat panicked face instantly turned gloomy.
She pressed her ear stud.
"Stark and his little friend have left the Villa, you can come in."
"Don't worry, the disabling program bought on the black market is very useful, it has already paralyzed all systems within the Villa."
"Hmm, I'll wait for you in the underground laboratory."
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)