[Marvel : Spoiling Spider-man] Chapter 331 - 335

Chapter 331: Killian's Desperate Resistance

"This virus is really powerful! The regeneration speed of severed limbs is incredibly fast!" The second-generation Connors exclaimed enviously as he watched Brandt's arm regenerate at an astonishing speed.

His own lizard potion research had stalled, and he had encountered a new problem. Connors wasn't sure if he would be able to perfect the potion in his lifetime.

The second-generation Harry thoughtfully touched his chin, wondering if he could replicate Maya's research. Although he knew it wouldn't be easy, it hardly mattered now. Osborn Industries was already at an unprecedented low point—how much worse could failure make things?

Tony and the others didn't pay much attention to the video playing on the sky screen. They could always watch the replay later. Right now, they were focused on attacking Killian's manor.

This time, there was no need for an elaborate plan. After Jarvis quickly scanned the enemy positions, Captain Marvel smashed directly through the sky entrance, sending sparks flying throughout the manor.

Captain Marvel's hands glowed with cosmic energy as she crashed through the ceiling, landing in a superhero pose that sent a shockwave across the floor. "Knock knock," she said with a smirk as Extremis soldiers turned to face the new threat.

After a few flashes of lightning, Thor threw his hammer to Natasha, then burst forth with the power of thunder and rushed in.

Thor summoned lightning from the sky, his eyes glowing with electric blue energy. "You will find us Avengers not so easily defeated!" he boomed as he leapt into the fray.

Natasha grasped Mjolnir and immediately raised it skyward. In an instant, the wind and clouds changed, and a bolt of lightning struck her, startling Steve Rogers who stood beside her.

Accompanied by the baptism of thunder, armor materialized on Natasha's body, and lightning flashed in her eyes.

Although Steve Rogers already knew Natasha could lift Thor's hammer, seeing it with his own eyes still felt incredible.

Under normal circumstances, Steve Rogers could easily defeat Natasha. Even with her enhancements, she would never be a match for him. But after wielding Mjolnir, the situation immediately reversed, and Natasha's strength soared to terrifying levels.

At this moment, Natasha seemed like a different person. She no longer relied on her previous skill-based fighting style. Instead, she used raw power to overwhelm her opponents, attacking the enemies before her with devastating force.

Meanwhile, Killian's base had descended into chaos because of Captain Marvel's sudden attack. Tony, wearing the Mark Destroyer One armor, followed Thor to provide support.

Thor threw a punch, and surging lightning rushed from his fist along the wind, knocking several Extremis warriors to the ground.

But this level of attack couldn't keep them down. They quickly stood up again, though one of them overheated as he rose and exploded.

With a thunderous "BANG," Thor was pushed back several meters by the heat wave, and the soldiers who had been standing next to the exploding warrior were completely vaporized.

"Wow! That's powerful!" Banner exclaimed, witnessing Thor being knocked backward. "Guys, I think we'd better be careful! If they're about to explode, keep your distance!" he warned everyone over the radio.

"Yeah! Maintain your distance and don't get too close!" Steve Rogers immediately issued instructions to the team.

Moments later, Killian rushed out from the smoke and dust. The shocking explosion had collapsed the roof, and he had nearly been buried underneath.

"Fuck!" he cursed as soon as he emerged, spotting Thor very close by. He immediately recognized the Avengers' presence.

Just before running out, he had seen Captain Marvel glowing brightly and had wondered who she was. Now that he saw Thor, he understood why they were here.

Thor didn't care who his opponent was—he simply swung an electricity-charged fist toward Killian.

Killian was no pushover either. He raised his body temperature significantly and punched Thor directly. Both fighters took several steps back from the impact.

Thor shook his slightly heated hand, squinted at Killian, and was surprised that his opponent could actually trade blows with him.

However, Killian lacked Thor's godly physique, and the punch had broken his arm outright. Although it quickly regenerated under the Extremis virus's effects, he still grimaced in pain.

By this point, Killian had realized he was no match for Thor. If the fight continued, he would either be killed by the God of Thunder or explode due to excessive heat.

While the two confronted each other, the battle on Rhodes' side raged fiercely. Many Extremis soldiers opened fire on the Avengers with their weapons.

Eric Savin raised his temperature and charged toward Thor, while Killian turned around and sprayed fire at Steve Rogers, Barton, and the others who were pinned down by gunfire, attempting to burn them alive.

Tony, flying overhead, witnessed this and immediately dove downward, only to be intercepted by another Extremis soldier. Relying on Mark Destroyer One's powerful combat capabilities, Tony knocked the soldier back ten meters with a single punch.

Then he planted his feet and began charging his destructive beam. Powerful energy erupted from his chest reactor, instantly piercing through the Extremis soldier's torso.

The devastating beam continued through the wall with its remaining force, barely passing between Thor and Eric Savin. Thor was nearly hit and looked at the beam's source in shock.

Iron Man's enhanced unibeam cut through the air with a blinding blue-white light, leaving a smoking trail through multiple walls. "Sorry about that, Point Break!" Tony called out through the comms.

Eric Savin seized the opportunity to leap forward and attack Thor, but the thunder god, with his centuries of combat experience, easily sidestepped and countered with a punch that sent Savin flying more than ten meters away. He crashed through several walls before coming to rest, momentarily incapacitated.

After dispatching Eric Savin, Thor saw that Killian was still keeping Steve Rogers and the others pinned down. He certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity with the enemy's back turned, and delivered a powerful blow to Killian.

By the time Killian realized what was happening, it was too late to defend himself. Thor's punch sent him flying through the doorway into the yard, where he landed at Natasha's feet.

Seeing Killian prone before her, Natasha didn't hesitate. She immediately swung Mjolnir down at him.

Killian had witnessed Loki being pinned down by Mjolnir and rendered immobile—how could he risk the same fate? He quickly rolled away from Natasha, and while he avoided the direct hammer strike, he was still thrown by the shockwave.

Before he could stand after landing, Captain Marvel flew over with golden energy trailing behind her and struck him with her elbow, knocking him out and sending him into another wall.

Captain Marvel's fist glowed with cosmic energy as she delivered a devastating blow. "Stay down," she warned as Killian crashed into the concrete wall, leaving a human-shaped impression.

"Don't kill him! We need to keep him alive to find the Mandarin!" Steve Rogers quickly signaled everyone to show restraint, as they still didn't know the Mandarin's whereabouts.

"Hehehe..." Killian struggled to rise from the ground. He was terrified, with several broken ribs that might have pierced his internal organs. The severe pain made him stagger.

"What are you laughing at? Your soldiers have been almost completely defeated. Surrender, Killian!" After dealing with the incapacitated Eric Savin, Tony flew to join Natasha and the others, fixing Killian with a cold stare.

Killian clutched his broken ribs and looked around, discovering that most of his soldiers had fallen, with only a few still fighting. The combined might of Captain Marvel and Thor was overwhelming—the Extremis soldiers were completely outmatched.

He also spotted Eric Savin leaning against a wall with a gaping hole in his chest—the wound from Tony's Destroyer Beam had pierced his heart.

After Tony had discovered that destroying the heart directly prevented Extremis soldiers from healing or exploding, he had shared this information with the team. Rhodes and Banner had then used their armor at full power and coordinated with Captain Marvel and Thor to eliminate most of the soldiers in short order.

"You won't catch me! Don't even think about it!!!" Killian pulled out a dose of the Extremis virus and injected it directly into himself. Within seconds, his body temperature began rising sharply. Killian refused to become Tony's prisoner—he chose to die in glory rather than live in disgrace.

Tony realized what Killian intended, but it was too late to stop him. "GET OUT OF HERE!!!" he shouted.

The team immediately scattered. Captain Marvel grabbed Wanda, who was experiencing her first battlefield, and flew away. Steve Rogers, Barton, and the others without protective gear hurriedly ran for cover.

With a final roar, Killian exploded, the powerful heat wave instantly vaporizing several nearby corpses.

The explosion expanded in a blinding orange fireball, sending debris and shocking waves of heat in all directions. The camera view pulled back to show the Avengers taking cover as the manor was engulfed in flames, marking the end of Aldrich Killian but leaving the question of the Mandarin's identity still unanswered.

Chapter 332: Capsized in the Gutter

["What happened? It's very interesting! Before Werner von Braun built rockets for the Nazis, he was an idealist!"]

[In a hotel room, Maya Hansen sits talking to Pepper Potts, who is sitting opposite her, propping her face up with her hands and listening quietly.]

["He fantasized about space travel! He loved looking up at the stars! When the first V2 rocket hit London, do you know what he said? 'The rocket worked perfectly! It just landed on the wrong planet!'"]

[Then Maya laughed at herself bitterly. "We were all so naive at the beginning! Pure science! Then our arrogance started to play tricks on us and we became obsessed! When we look back, we've already come a long way!"]

[Pepper reached out to comfort her. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Maya! You just handed your research over to a think tank!"]

["Yeah! But Killian built that think tank with the help of military contracts!" Maya still felt guilty about her research results being weaponized.]

["We've all made mistakes before! So don't blame yourself!"]

[Maya leaned against the headboard, looked at Pepper gratefully and said, "Thank you, Pepper! I really appreciate it!"]

[At that moment, someone knocked on the door, and Pepper got up to answer it. "Hi! Good evening! Please come in!"]

[A waiter was about to enter with a food cart when someone suddenly appeared behind him and twisted his neck with a sickening crack.]

[Pepper was horrified at the sight. The person who appeared was Killian. Pepper yelled, "Maya! Run!"]

[Killian grabbed Pepper and pinned her against the wall by her throat. She stared at him in terror.]

[Killian looked at her calmly. "Hello, Pepper!"]

[Then he turned to Maya and asked, "Are you going to tell me why you were at Stark's place last night?"]

[Maya looked at him and explained, "I just wanted to fix this! How was I supposed to know that you and the Mandarin would blow up his house?"]

[Killian tilted his head back. "Oh! I see! So you wanted to save Stark! Even though he threatens us!"]

["I told you, Killian! We can use him!" Maya looked at him with frustration.]

[Pepper stretched out her hand, struggling to break free from Killian's grip. Killian turned his head and looked at her with exasperation, shouting, "Pepper! Pepper!"]

[Maya continued trying to convince Killian. "If we want to launch new products next year, I need Stark! He just lacks suitable motivation, and now he has it!"]

"Killian! No body is left intact!" Tony, wearing his armor, kicked away a stone at his feet. He'd seen the footage of Pepper being captured by Killian, but unfortunately, Killian had now been reduced to ashes.

"Be careful, check if there are any remaining Extremis soldiers!" Steve Rogers held his shield defensively as he scanned their surroundings.

Rhodes flew around the entire house and, finding no enemies, landed again.

"Hey! Look who I found?" Captain Marvel emerged from the house, dragging someone along—it was the Mandarin!

"Don't kill me, don't kill me!" Trevor Slattery begged for mercy, terror evident on his face. He had been in the bathroom when the shock wave hit. He'd hidden there until the commotion outside subsided before venturing out.

Carol had discovered him while checking the house and promptly arrested him.

"The Mandarin?" Tony narrowed his eyes as he studied the frightened Trevor. He didn't believe for a second that this pathetic specimen could be the real Mandarin.

[Meanwhile, Rhodes was flying through the sky when he received a communication: "This is Blue Zero from the support team! I'm sending you coordinates for a suspected transmission origin point from the Mandarin!"]

["Got it!" Rhodes checked the coordinates and immediately changed course.]

[With a sound of gathering energy, Rhodes blasted an iron door away with one shot. The women sewing clothes inside jumped in alarm.]

["Don't move!!!" Rhodes pointed his weapons at the people inside and shouted, only to realize they were all unarmed women.]

[He lowered his weapon and began to complain: "Ah! Volunteer Team Blue Zero! Unless the Mandarin plans to attack the United States with cheap sportswear next time, I think you've made another mistake!"]

[The women excitedly stepped forward to shake hands with Rhodes, who nodded politely: "Yes! You're free! If you weren't free before!"]

["Of course... Yes! Ma'am! The Iron Patriot is on a mission, and I'm happy to help! No need to thank me, it's my honor!"]

[The last woman approached and gripped Rhodes' hand tightly. The next second, her palm began emitting an orange glow, and Rhodes' armor immediately malfunctioned.]

[He collapsed to the side. Seeing that she had successfully neutralized Rhodes, the woman removed her veil, revealing her beautiful face.]

[She took out her cell phone. "Savin, I've acquired the Iron Patriot armor!"]

[Upon hearing this, Rhodes replied calmly: "You want this suit? Then you'll have to kill me first and pry me out of it!"]

[The woman wasn't angered by this. She smiled at Rhodes, who lay immobilized on the ground: "That's the plan, Colonel!"]

"Hahaha! Rhodes, you really capsized in the gutter!" Tony laughed at Rhodes' predicament.

"Hey! Who knew there was an Extremis soldier hiding among them? The same would have happened to you!" Rhodes retorted, his face reddening with embarrassment.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Is that why you were so easily taken down by a woman?" Tony continued his merciless teasing.

Rhodes opened his mouth to respond but found himself speechless. He could only cry silently in his heart.

By this point, they had almost cleared the battlefield. Except for one or two lucky Extremis soldiers who had managed to survive, all others were dead, including the woman shown in the sky broadcast.

After some intimidation, Trevor revealed everything, and everyone realized he was just a puppet Killian had positioned as a front.

He was merely an actor, chosen by Killian to take the blame because of his unique theatrical temperament.

Steve Rogers and the others were disappointed but also relieved that there were no additional terrorist cells. All the Extremis soldiers had been gathered here. As for whether there were any undercover agents elsewhere, they would need to take the information back for further investigation.

Tony had already copied substantial amounts of crucial data through Jarvis and uploaded it to his personal server.

He had also notified Nick Fury to send a team to secure the remaining evidence and handle the aftermath. The rest of the cleanup would be left to S.H.I.E.L.D.

[The screen faded to black, then showed Rhodes being extracted from his armor as the Extremis woman and her team prepared to use it for their next phase of the plan—a crisis that the Avengers would soon have to face.]

Chapter 333: Mechanic

[On a dark highway, Tony was driving while talking to Harley on the phone: "Harley, tell me how it went. I want to hear a detailed report!"]

["Yeah! I'm still eating candy! Do you want me to keep eating?" Harley answered while popping pieces of candy into his mouth one after another.]

[Hearing this, Tony couldn't help but ask: "How much have you eaten?"]

["Two or three pots!"]

[Tony's voice rose in surprise: "Can you still see straight?"]

["Almost!"]

[Tony sounded relieved: "That means you're fine. Call JARVIS!"]

[Hearing this, Harley placed his phone next to the Mark 42's helmet.]

["JARVIS, what's going on?"]

[JARVIS immediately responded: "I'm totally fine, sir! I was functioning properly for one part! And then at the end of the sentence I said the wrong cranberry!"]

["And! Sir! You are correct! I located the Mandarin's broadcast signal when I acquired the AIM downlink device!"]

[Tony immediately pressed for details: "Where are we talking about? The Far East? Europe? North Africa? Iran? Pakistan? Syria? Where?"]

[But JARVIS's reply was beyond Tony's expectation: "Sir! Actually... in Miami!"]

[Tony's first reaction was that JARVIS had a language error, because this location was too outrageous!]

["Okay! Kid, I'll teach you later! Restart JARVIS's voice driver, but not now! Harley, where does it say he is? Look at the screen and tell me where he is!"]

[Harley clicked around on the laptop, "Uh... it does say Miami, Florida!"]

[When Tony realized the enemy was right under his nose, he broke out in a cold sweat and quickly asked about the armor's condition: "Okay! Let's talk about the important things first! I need the armor. How is it now?"]

["Uh... it can't be charged!" Harley hesitated for a moment before revealing the problem.]

[Tony slammed the brake pedal to the floor and pulled over to the side of the road. His entire body was sweating and his fingers trembled slightly.]

[JARVIS's voice came through: "Sir, actually, it is charging, but there is a problem with the power supply! It may not be able to restore power to the Mark 42!"]

[Tony shouted anxiously: "What's wrong with the power supply?! Okay! This is my suit, I can't... I can't... I don't want to..."]

[The anxiety attack made Tony unable to speak clearly. He took two deep breaths and said, "Oh! God! Here it comes again!"]

[Then he suddenly flung open the car door and stumbled outside to gulp in fresh air.]

[Harley listened to his labored breathing and called out worriedly: "Tony? Are you having another attack? I didn't even mention New York!"]

[Tony complained: "Okay! You just said it! You said it when you said you didn't mention it!" Then he slid down, sitting with his back against the car door.]

["Okay! Uh…" Harley bit his finger awkwardly.]

[Tony hugged himself, looking utterly miserable. "Oh! God! What am I going to do?"]

[Harley quickly coached him: "Take a deep breath! Really! Take a deep breath!"]

[Then he asked: "You're a mechanic, right? That's what you said!"]

[Tony clutched the door handle and replied weakly: "Yes! That's right!"]

["Why don't you build something?"]

[After hearing Harley's words, Tony suddenly blinked as clarity returned. Harley had made Tony realize that he wasn't without options.]

[He stood up slowly. "Okay! Thanks, kid!" Tony got back into the car, adjusted his cap, and started the engine.]

"Tony Stark! It seems like his anxiety disorder is really serious! Once he loses his sense of security, he has an attack!"

Uncle Ben couldn't help but sigh as he watched Tony panic just because the Mark 42 couldn't be charged.

"That child is very smart! He reminded Tony Stark at just the right moment!" Aunt May obviously liked Harley very much.

"Yeah! It would be nice if he didn't talk so much!" Uncle Ben nodded and then complained about Harley being a chatterbox.

Spider-Man was a chatterbox, and Harley was also a chatterbox. Were all the kids Tony met so talkative?

After Harley's mother finished her call with the school, she came over and hugged him. She hadn't expected her child to be so talented that he could even provide guidance to Tony Stark himself.

Just moments ago Tony had laughed at Rhodes, but now it was Rhodes' turn to tease Tony: "How did three sentences make Tony Stark go from calm to collapse and then back to calm again?"

Everyone burst into laughter at this observation, even Wanda giggled happily. After the battle, their relationships had undoubtedly grown much closer.

Tony rolled his eyes and ignored Rhodes's ribbing. He concentrated on checking if there was anything else worth salvaging from Killian's compound. Maya helped him organize the important information.

After loading everything onto the Quinjet, Barton and Steve Rogers stayed behind to guard the site and wait for SHIELD personnel, while the others departed.

[The scene changed to a hardware store. Tony picked up a pair of large pliers and tossed them into a shopping cart, which already contained a bag of fertilizer. He sipped a small beer while selecting what he needed.]

[Soon he had filled an entire shopping cart, and as the camera panned, it revealed he had actually filled two carts with supplies.]

[After returning to Harley's temporary workspace, Tony began crafting what he needed. In short order, he fashioned a pair of simple armored gloves, a homemade stun gun, a nail gun, and various other improvised weapons and tools.]

[After preparing his makeshift arsenal, Tony drove to Miami, Florida.]

[He soon arrived at the location of the broadcast signal—an expansive coastal manor. Tony climbed up a tree and used a telescope to observe the distribution of guards inside.]

[He quickly formulated a plan. Rushing to the perimeter wall, he scaled it with surprising agility. He ascended the exterior stairs and found a guard with his back turned.]

[Tony swung a length of rope, hooked the man's foot, and pulled hard. The guard's chin smacked against the stairs, and he crumpled unconscious.]

[Tony then produced his nail gun and shot another guard in the neck, following up with a devastating knee to the man's groin. The guard immediately collapsed, clutching himself in agony.]

[A third guard discovered the commotion and rushed toward Tony, but Tony deployed his homemade stun gun. The man convulsed as electricity coursed through him. Tony delivered a precise kick, knocking him to the ground unconscious.]

"You know, for someone without his armor, Tony is still pretty dangerous," Natasha commented, watching Tony's infiltration with professional interest.

"That's the thing about Tony," Rhodes replied. "People think the suit makes the man, but it's always been the other way around."

Captain Marvel nodded in agreement. "That's true of most heroes. The power isn't what makes them special—it's how they use it."

"I wish Peter could see this," Aunt May said softly. "He's always looking up to Iron Man for the technology, but this is the lesson he really needs to learn."

The second-generation Harry watched intently. "Without resources, without backup... just his mind and whatever he can find. That's impressive."

"That's Tony Stark," Bruce Banner added with a small smile. "The mechanic at work."

Chapter 334: Trevor

[The two security guards were blissfully unaware that someone had invaded their sanctuary. Tony tossed a small blue spherical grenade in their direction to attract their attention.]

[One of them picked it up and examined it suspiciously. The next second, the device exploded in his hand, knocking him flat to the ground.]

[His partner immediately reached for the pistol at his waist, but Tony, who had come prepared, was faster. He fired several nails in rapid succession from his homemade weapon, causing the guard to retreat hastily before diving into the decorative pool.]

[Tony casually lobbed another red grenade into the water, then discarded the empty nail gun.]

[After entering the house, Tony surveyed his surroundings. He spotted a woman passed out on a table in the living room.]

[In another room, a woman lounging on a couch complained to a man: "Why is it so hot in here? I told you to set it to 68 degrees Fahrenheit!"]

["It's my fault again. I have to tell you, honey! I am not your person—" Before he could finish his sentence, Tony slapped a homemade electroshock glove against his head, immediately incapacitating him with a jolt of electricity.]

[Tony then grabbed the gun from the table and pointed it at the woman on the couch opposite.]

[She immediately pointed her finger at Tony like a gun. Tony could see she was under the influence of something, so he signaled for her to be quiet and moved on.]

George Stacy looked at the security guards who were so easily neutralized and shook his head. "These guys have terrible situational awareness. Tony Stark managed to break in with nothing but homemade equipment!"

"Yeah! They even pick up strange objects and examine them! That's insanely stupid!" the second-generation Spider-Man agreed, shaking his head repeatedly.

He couldn't believe someone would actually pick up a mysterious object dropped by an intruder. Was it because these guards had never encountered such a situation before and couldn't think critically?

Gwen looked at the intoxicated woman with undisguised disgust. She had arrested several drug users and dealers in her career as Spider-Woman, but she never understood why someone would willingly degrade themselves like this.

"Tony Stark seems surprisingly adept at combat. Even without his armor, his fighting ability is impressive. At the very least, he can infiltrate a guarded compound single-handedly."

As chief of police, George could tell that Tony must have received some tactical training. It seemed all his boxing sessions with Happy Hogan hadn't been for nothing.

Tony shot Rhodes a smug look, silently showing off his prowess.

Rhodes rolled his eyes and refused to acknowledge Tony's grandstanding. Wanda noticed this wordless exchange between the two friends and couldn't help but laugh.

[Tony approached another room, carefully opening the door and entering with his gun drawn. He discarded the now-depleted electroshock gloves.]

[Inside, he found an elaborate setup with various instruments and recording equipment. On a nearby screen, he noticed footage of previous Mandarin broadcasts. His eyes then fell on a bed with someone lying on it, though a quilt obscured his view of whoever was there.]

[The atmosphere grew tense. Tony believed he had finally found the Mandarin. Gun in hand, he approached the bed and yanked back the quilt. Two women lying underneath were startled by his sudden appearance.]

[Realizing they weren't his target, Tony exhaled softly, then immediately signaled for them to remain quiet.]

[Just then, the sound of a toilet flushing came from behind him. Tony reacted instantly, ducking behind the bed. The two women quickly pretended nothing had happened.]

[Trevor Slattery emerged from the bathroom, chuckling as he walked. "Well! You'd better not go in there for 20 minutes! Okay! Which one of you is Vanessa?"]

[Vanessa raised her hand slightly and responded: "That's me!"]

[Trevor ambled over to the table, grabbed a snack, and tossed it to her. "Ah! Nix, did you know that fortune cookies weren't even invented in China?"]

[Nix pointed toward the bed and warned: "There's a man over there..."]

[But Trevor didn't hear her. He continued rummaging through items on the table. "They were actually created by Americans! According to... according to Japanese recipes!"]

[Tony emerged from his hiding spot, pointing his gun at Trevor. "Hey!"]

[The moment Trevor spotted Tony, he raised his hands and looked toward the door as if expecting more intruders. "That's it, then. It's over!"]

["Don't move!" Tony warned coldly.]

[Trevor complied remarkably well. "I'm not moving. Take whatever you want! But these guns are all fake because those suspicions bitches don't trust me with the real ones!"]

[Tony was taken aback by Trevor's casual demeanor. "What?"]

[Trevor pointed at the two women on the bed and gave Tony a knowing look. "Hey! Which of these two girls do you fancy?"]

[Tony narrowed his eyes as realization dawned. "Enough! You're not him! Where is the Mandarin? Where is the real Mandarin? WHERE IS HE?!"]

[He chambered a round in his weapon and yelled at Trevor, who cowered back into a chair.]

[Trevor pointed to himself and began explaining nervously: "Whoa! He's here! Right here! But also not here! He's here, but he's not!"]

[Tony stared at him in confusion. "What the hell does that mean?"]

["It's complicated! It's complicated, alright? It's complicated!" Trevor gestured wildly, offering Tony an ingratiating smile.]

["Is it now?" Tony's patience was wearing thin. He knew he couldn't linger here much longer—reinforcements could arrive at any moment.]

["Explain it to me! Ladies, get out! Get off the bed and go to the bathroom!" Tony glanced at the two women, who wisely followed his instructions and retreated to the bathroom.]

[Tony walked over and locked the door. Trevor seized the opportunity to attempt an escape. Tony noticed and fired a warning shot into the floor directly in front of him, causing Trevor to scramble back to his seat.]

[The gunshot startled the women in the bathroom, who screamed in fright.]

[Trevor, hands shaking, explained to Tony: "My name is Trevor! Trevor Slattery!"]

["Who are you supposed to be? Bait? A stand-in?" Tony couldn't believe this pathetic figure was supposedly the terrifying Mandarin.]

["What? Like an understudy? NO! Absolutely not!" Trevor shook his head vehemently.]

[Tony pressed the gun against Trevor's temple menacingly, causing him to beg: "Please, not the face! I'm an actor!"]

["You've got one minute! Talk!" Tony glared at Trevor, giving him a final ultimatum.]

[Trevor rolled his eyes dramatically and explained: "It's just a role! The Mandarin! Do you understand? It's all fictional!"]

[Tony shifted tactics. "So how did you end up here, Trevor?"]

"Oh, I'm starting to see what's happening here," Natasha remarked, watching the broadcast with growing interest. "Killian created a fictional terrorist to take the blame while he operated from the shadows."

"Classic misdirection," Rhodes agreed. "While everyone's looking for this 'Mandarin' character, AIM continues their Extremis experiments without scrutiny."

"And they picked the perfect patsy," Tony added with a snort. "A washed-up actor desperate enough to play terrorist for drugs and women."

"It's actually quite brilliant," the second-generation Harry observed. "Create a threat that's just foreign and mysterious enough to be believable, but that doesn't actually exist—making it impossible to find."

"And with each attack, the public grows more frightened, and the government more desperate," Steve Rogers noted grimly. "Fear is a powerful tool."

"This Trevor guy doesn't even realize he's part of something so dangerous," Aunt May said, shaking her head. "He thinks it's all just a role he's playing."

Uncle Ben sighed. "Sometimes people don't want to see the consequences of their actions. They just want their next fix."

Chapter 335: Dungeon

[At this point, Trevor hesitated before speaking evasively: "Well, I um... I had some issues! Uh... substance-related problems, and then I had no choice but to do certain things!"]

[He pointed at Tony with a knowing expression. "Certain connections that a man really shouldn't make!"]

[Tony urged: "Go on!"]

["And then!" Trevor gestured vaguely toward the window. "They found me and offered me this role! They knew about my, uh, recreational habits!"]

["What did they promise? Rehab?" Tony frowned at him.]

["They said they'd give me more! They gave me so many things—this mansion!" Trevor spread his arms wide. "They gave me plastic surgery, and just... everything!"]

[Trevor reclined in his chair and closed his eyes, savoring the memory of his good fortune.]

["Are you taking a nap? Hey!" Tony kicked his foot impatiently.]

[Trevor had hoped to delay, but reluctantly continued: "No! There was also a lovely speedboat. The condition was that he needed someone! To take responsibility for some 'accidental explosions'!"]

[At this point, Tony began connecting the dots. He turned around thoughtfully before asking, "He? Killian?"]

[Trevor nodded. "Killian!"]

["He created you!"]

[Trevor parroted back: "He created me!"]

[Tony pieced it together: "A custom-made terrorist threat!"]

["Yes! Yes! His think tank came up with all of it!" Trevor raised a finger enthusiastically, then walked to a nearby table and grabbed two cans of beer.]

["Complete with pathological backstory, classic serial killer indicators! Blended with all the right elements of Western iconography! Ready for another lesson? And so forth!"]

[Tony listened carefully as he slowly sank into a chair. Trevor offered him a beer, but he waved it away.]

[Undeterred by the refusal, Trevor continued: "Of course, it was my performance that really brought the Mandarin to life!"]

[Tony's expression hardened. "Your performance? What about the people who died?"]

[Trevor replied with shocking indifference: "No one died! Look around you—costumes! Green screen!"]

["Oh! Honestly, I wasn't even on location for half these 'attacks'! When I was, everything was special effects, darling!"]

[Tony stood up, staring at him coldly. "I'm sorry, but an old friend of mine is in a coma! He might never wake up! So you're going to answer for that! I'm going to deal with you! You know, buddy..."]

[As Tony prepared to confront Trevor, he was unaware that Eric Savin had silently approached from behind, watching him with predatory focus.]

[Tony finally noticed the shift in Trevor's gaze and realized someone stood behind him. He turned quickly, attempting to raise his weapon.]

[But Eric Savin seized Tony's wrist with superhuman speed and delivered a devastating blow to his face, knocking him unconscious immediately.]

[Eric dragged Tony's limp form to a nearby bed, then glanced at Trevor. "Alright, Trevor. What did you tell him?"]

[Trevor looked at the fallen Tony, shaking his head with practiced nonchalance. "I didn't tell him anything!"]

["Nothing?"]

[Trevor rolled his eyes and smiled unconvincingly. "Nope!"]

[Eric was skeptical. "You must have been terrified."]

[Trevor demonstrated his acting skills, calmly opening his beer. "Well! I was shocked at first, but I handled it rather well, I think!"]

"What the hell?! The Mandarin is actually just an actor?!" exclaimed one of the viewers watching the broadcast.

"Killian is such a genius! How did he come up with this plan?" another marveled.

"Oh my God! Trevor! I knew him before his plastic surgery! I thought he was dead!" someone recognized the actor beneath the makeup.

"Damn it! This guy has played the whole world for fools!" came an angry response.

Around the globe, people were buzzing about the revelation of the Mandarin's true identity, with many recognizing Trevor Slattery from his earlier, less illustrious career.

Tony frowned as he watched. They had initially thought Trevor was simply lying, but it turned out he really was just an actor following a script.

Tony had already verified Trevor's identity through JARVIS, and comparing it with what they heard in the broadcast, the stories matched almost perfectly. The evidence was conclusive.

However, since Killian was already dead, Tony didn't see any point in dwelling on these revelations. He'd leave the cleanup to Nick Fury and SHIELD.

Soon they would announce Killian's death to the world. AIM's operations would be completely shut down and subjected to a comprehensive investigation.

Maya didn't seem particularly affected by Killian's death. Although they had once been involved, that relationship had ended long ago.

What concerned her more now was whether Tony could help her perfect the Extremis virus. Both Tony and Banner understood her priorities and weren't opposed to the idea.

If the Extremis virus could be perfected, it would benefit humanity enormously while also providing them with enhanced combat capabilities—an advantage they might need for the coming war.

After all, they had witnessed the Extremis soldiers' effectiveness in battle. Though still vulnerable to overwhelming firepower, these enhanced individuals were far stronger than ordinary humans.

Killian had even managed to briefly hold his own against Thor. Although he was ultimately defeated, everyone present recognized Thor's incredible power. Except for Captain Marvel, perhaps even the Hulk might struggle against the current Thor.

"The potential of a stabilized Extremis is undeniable," Bruce commented thoughtfully. "The regenerative capabilities alone could revolutionize medicine."

"If we can remove the explosive instability," Tony added. "Otherwise we're just creating walking bombs."

"At least this time we have the research in more responsible hands," Steve noted, glancing at Maya.

[The scene changed to show Tony bound to a metal bed frame with thick straps, while Maya sat on a chair with her back to him, studying a computer screen.]

["Ah!" Tony strained against his restraints to no avail.]

[Maya heard the noise and turned around, looking at him with a smile. "Just like old times, right?"]

["Oh yeah! Restraints are so much fun!" Tony replied sarcastically.]

[Maya shook her head slightly. "That wasn't my idea!"]

["So you really did take Killian's business card!" Tony couldn't even bring himself to look at her.]

["I took his money," Maya nodded, making no attempt to deny it.]

["And thirteen years later, you're trapped in this dungeon," Tony concluded, assuming Maya was another prisoner.]

["No," she replied, surprising him.]

["Yeah!" Tony insisted, unable to believe otherwise.]

[Maya repeated firmly: "No! You're the one trapped in this dungeon. I can leave whenever I want!"]

["Well then," Tony replied, sizing up his situation calmly despite being restrained.]

"So Maya was working with Killian willingly the whole time," Natasha observed. "I suspected as much from the moment she showed up at Tony's house."

"People will justify anything if it advances their research," Bruce said quietly, his expression troubled. "I've been down that road myself."

"She doesn't seem completely comfortable with the situation though," Aunt May pointed out. "There's hesitation in her eyes."

"Moral compromises rarely bring satisfaction," Uncle Ben added wisely. "She got her funding, but at what cost?"

The second-generation Harry leaned forward, watching intently. "I wonder if she's just another pawn in Killian's game, or if she's truly complicit in everything that's happened."

"Everyone has their reasons," Rhodes said. "But intentions don't excuse actions. People got hurt because of what they did."

Captain Marvel nodded. "The question now is whether she's too far gone, or if there's still a chance for redemption."