Nathan Hawke sat in his spacious office, his expression serious as he looked at Hawkeye, who had come to visit. Hawkeye was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents, and his presence made Nathan realize the importance of this meeting.
"I'd like a glass of iced fruit juice," Hawkeye said politely, sitting calmly and attentively on the comfortable sofa.
Nathan nodded and signaled his secretary to prepare the drink. Then he dismissed her and remained alone in the office with Hawkeye. He knew Hawkeye wouldn't show up for something trivial—especially after the recent terror attacks carried out by the Mandarin's Extremis soldiers.
"Mr. Hawke, we've been dealing with terrorist attacks from Extremis soldiers all over the world recently. We're severely understaffed," Hawkeye stated bluntly.
"Yes, the situation is indeed severe," Nathan said with a deep breath. "We've deployed superheroes everywhere to assist, but the number and frequency of Extremis attacks have exceeded our capacity."
"Exactly. That's why I hope your superheroes can focus solely on the United States," Hawkeye continued. "As for the rest of the world, S.H.I.E.L.D. will take action."
Nathan paused, then asked, "Why this arrangement? Is S.H.I.E.L.D. not strong enough?"
A flicker of hesitation appeared in Hawkeye's eyes before he answered honestly, "In fact, we suspect there's a mole within S.H.I.E.L.D."
Nathan frowned slightly. He understood the seriousness of this.
"You're saying the reason these Extremis soldiers could move freely in the U.S. is because someone leaked information to them?"
"Exactly. Every time we launch a capture operation, the enemy seems to know beforehand. We've only managed to catch small operatives—never the big players behind the scenes."
"This is bad," Nathan replied, feigning deep concern. He knew there was a larger conspiracy behind the Extremis attacks.
"That's why we propose focusing our efforts on Extremis outbreaks in other countries, and leaving the U.S. situation to your superheroes. We'll cooperate closely. This way, we can fight the threat more effectively," Hawkeye suggested.
Nathan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I'll instruct them to prioritize the extremists operating in the U.S."
"Thank you, Mr. Hawke," Hawkeye said with a firm nod.
After Hawkeye left, Zed approached Nathan Hawke. "No one was found."
"Thank you for your hard work. Want something to drink?" Nathan asked casually.
"No, thank you," Jay replied.
"If you want to leave, go ahead. There's nothing much happening lately," Nathan said seriously.
Jay nodded and vanished in a blur.
Nathan sat back on the sofa, sipping his drink, resting his shoes casually on the table.
"So Aldrich Killian has ties to HYDRA. How interesting. But this method doesn't match Pierce or Baron Strucker… So it must be another HYDRA member. I can't wait to see who it is."
Meanwhile, Pepper Potts had informed Tony Stark about Aldrich Killian and the Mandarin. After dealing with the organization's business, she headed to Tony's villa.
"Hello, Miss Potts," JARVIS greeted.
"Hello, JARVIS. Where's Tony?" Pepper asked.
"He is in the lab conducting an experiment with Miss Helen Cho."
"Helen Cho?" Pepper raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yes. Miss Cho is your friend," JARVIS replied.
"Oh… I see." Pepper nodded instinctively and walked toward the lab.
She pushed open the door and saw Tony Stark fully focused on an experiment with a young Asian woman—Helen Cho—who looked intelligent and dedicated.
"Tony, I'm here," Pepper said softly, trying not to disrupt them.
Tony turned and smiled brightly. "Pepper! This is Helen Cho. We're collaborating on a new tech project."
Helen nodded warmly. "Hello, Miss Potts. Tony has spoken of you. It's great to finally meet you."
"Hello, Miss Cho," Pepper responded politely, curious about her. She knew Tony rarely worked closely with strangers—anyone who could collaborate with him must be extraordinary.
Tony returned to the experiment and explained, "Helen is helping me study the Extremis virus. She's an exceptional scientist with deep research in biology and virology."
Pepper asked, "So, have you discovered anything new about the Extremis virus?"
Helen smiled. "Yes, we've found a potential solution. Extremis has a self-regulating mechanism that keeps it stable and evolving. We're looking for ways to disrupt that mechanism to weaken it—or make it self-destruct."
Tony added, "Our goal is to suppress the virus—or destroy it completely. Then the Extremis soldiers will no longer pose a threat."
Helen handed Pepper a report. "We found that the virus regulates itself using a special protein. We're trying to synthesize an inhibitor that disrupts that protein, reducing the virus's activity."
Tony's eyes lit up with excitement. "If we can do that, Extremis soldiers lose their threat."
He began pulling up multiple monitors, analyzing data alongside Helen. Pepper watched them work intensely, knowing the task was monumental—but if anyone could solve it, it was Tony Stark.
Hours passed before a breakthrough finally appeared.
Helen suggested, "If we alter the virus's genetic sequence to disrupt its evolution, it will become unstable—losing its offensive capabilities."
Tony nodded. "Right. But we have to be careful. If we do this wrong, the virus could mutate unpredictably. Worst case—boom."
"Exactly. We must proceed cautiously. I'll run more simulations," Helen said.
"You're doing great, Helen," Tony praised, patting her shoulder.
Pepper felt proud watching them work seamlessly together.
"We should prepare to develop an Extremis antidote," Tony told Pepper. "Once it's ready, we can inject it into Extremis soldiers and turn them back to normal people."
Pepper nodded. "Yes. That would neutralize the virus and prevent further destruction."
Tony and Helen resumed work, refining their approach.
"Pepper," Tony suddenly called.
"Yes? What do you need?" Pepper quickly stood, despite being sleepy.
"I need you to go to Hawke Corporation. Try to get Nathan Hawke himself to come here. Also call Rhodes—he should be out of the hospital by now. And… apologize to him for missing his discharge."
"Leave it to me," Pepper said, about to leave.
"Pepper—" Tony looked at her, hesitating.
"Yes?" Pepper asked, looking adorable in Tony's eyes.
Tony laughed and cursed jokingly, "Idiot—it's dark outside. We'll go tomorrow."
Pepper burst into laughter. "Fine. I'll go tomorrow. You need rest too."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Tony replied with a light smile.
The next day, Pepper Potts arrived at Hawke Corporation. She entered Nathan Hawke's office and saw him seated at his desk.
"Mr. Hawke, Tony asked me to speak with you about something very important," Pepper said.
"Is that so? Then let's sit and talk," Nathan replied courteously.
Pepper and Nathan sat down, and she relayed Tony's message, requesting that he come in person.
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