Soon after, the group arrived at the military zone, where Rhodes saw a newly modified steel armor suit. Its exterior had been completely redesigned—painted in red, blue, and silver—making it look far more majestic and imposing than before.
Vice President Rodríguez looked at the renewed "Iron Patriot" armor with satisfaction and said to Rhodes with a smile, "The modifications turned out very well. It will become a symbol of our nation, representing our unshakable will and our powerful national strength."
"Mr. Vice President, thank you for granting me this honor. I will continue to fight to protect our country and our people," Rhodes said solemnly, his voice filled with passion and responsibility.
Vice President Rodríguez nodded approvingly. "Very good, James. I believe you will continue to excel and serve as the guardian of our nation."
Just as Rhodes was about to put on the Iron Patriot helmet, an officer rushed over with a nervous and worried expression.
"General, sir! We've detected a group of Extremis soldiers near the border. They appear to be planning a large-scale attack!" the officer reported anxiously, glancing at the Vice President and Rhodes.
Hearing this, Rhodes frowned deeply. He knew all too well how dangerous the Extremis organization was. Their actions posed a significant threat to national security.
"Notify the troops immediately. Prepare for combat. I'll head there at once!" the general ordered urgently, then turned to the Vice President. "Mr. Vice President."
"Go. National security comes first," Rodríguez replied with a nod.
The general quickly departed.
Rhodes moved toward the Iron Patriot armor, ready to suit up and fight the Extremis soldiers himself. But just as he reached it, a researcher hurriedly blocked his path.
"James, I'm sorry—the armor isn't fully operational yet. We're still upgrading and calibrating it to withstand harsher combat environments," the researcher explained anxiously.
Rhodes grew tense; time was running out. But he also understood that entering battle with an unstable suit could cost lives and jeopardize the mission.
Vice President Rodríguez stepped forward as well. "James, I know the situation is urgent, but we cannot take unnecessary risks. Let the researchers finish their adjustments. We'll send other units to the border first to intercept those Extremis soldiers."
"No, Mr. Vice President. I can't just stand by. This is my responsibility. I must be the one to face them," Rhodes said firmly.
Rodríguez looked at him. He knew Rhodes was brave and dutiful, yet he still tried to dissuade him: "James, your armor isn't fully ready. If you rush in now, you could be putting your life at great risk. We can send elite units to support you. You can join them once your suit is prepared."
Rhodes shook his head. "Mr. Vice President, we don't have time. Those extremists are extremely dangerous. Their attack could cost innocent lives. It's my duty to protect our people. I cannot wait. Please—let me go."
The Vice President hesitated, then finally nodded. "Very well, James. If you insist, I won't stop you. But be careful."
Rhodes thanked him for his understanding. Despite the danger, his resolve was unwavering. He suited up, feeling the armor sync with his body, then blasted off toward the border.
After Rhodes left, the researcher turned to Vice President Rodríguez with a sly smile.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Vice President. Soon, you'll be seated in the President's chair."
Rodríguez shot him a cold glare. "I only want my daughter to recover. If you can't make that happen…"
"Rest assured, Mr. Vice President. Everything is progressing as planned."
…
"My plan was flawless—but you beat me to it."Viper tugged Aldrich Killian's tie, forcing him to look at her.
"You didn't really think Tony Stark would still act like before—arrogantly announcing his home address, believing no one would dare challenge him?"
Aldrich loosened his tie and sat down on the couch, replying coldly, "So what? Your plan is to ruin Tony Stark's relationship with Pepper Potts?"
Viper gave him a playful smile. "At least your little think tank managed to come up with one good idea—taking Pepper Potts hostage. And your arrival here? Also part of the plan."
"Like a snake—sneaky and treacherous, right?" Aldrich didn't enjoy being treated like a pawn.
Viper read his thoughts easily. "Why do you assume you're just a pawn? You're my partner." She clapped her hands, and a HYDRA soldier entered with a vial of gene serum.
Aldrich raised an eyebrow, curious. "What's this?"
"A superhuman gene serum. It took a lot of effort to acquire it."
"You want me to merge Extremis with this serum?" he asked.
"I believe you can." Viper placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging them.
She leaned in and whispered, "And as for the Hawke Corporation—you won't have to worry about them bothering us for a while. Do what you need to do."
Aldrich felt her touch and tone stirring complicated thoughts within him. Her plan was ambitious—dangerous—but undeniably brilliant.
"Fine. I'll work on it. But I need Maya Hansen's help."
"Of course. I've already arranged a full research team for you," Viper said.
With HYDRA's support, Aldrich and Maya began the complex fusion experiment—attempting to merge Extremis with the superhuman gene serum to create a far more powerful soldier.
Viper monitored everything, providing resources and pushing the project forward. The risks were immense; failure could be catastrophic. Yet the experiments also produced promising results: the fused serum created soldiers with abilities far beyond either component alone.
And beneath it all, Viper's true ambition grew clearer: she didn't just want super-soldiers. She wanted to reshape geopolitical power itself.
…
Meanwhile, Nathan Hawke sat in his office reviewing global updates. On Tuesday, the Mandarin's Extremis operatives launched multiple terror attacks worldwide.
Despite Hawke Corporation deploying superheroes to assist globally, casualties still occurred. Social media erupted with anti-Hawke commentary, damaging the company's reputation—even though these accusations were false.
Nathan understood this wasn't random terrorism. It was a direct attempt to discredit Hawke Corporation, to turn them into the world's punching bag.
He convened an emergency strategy meeting with top executives.
"We cannot allow these extremists to control the narrative," Nathan said. "We must reinforce our media presence—show the truth. Show what our heroes have done. The public deserves clarity."
The executives agreed, planning a large-scale PR counteroffensive.
At the same time, they intensified operations against the Extremis threat, mobilizing all available global resources.
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