The White House, Oval Office
Following the dismantling of both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra by the Avengers, numerous members of the Senate, military, and state officials found themselves implicated to varying degrees.
The President was fervently strategizing with his team on how to leverage the vacant positions to benefit their party when a phone vibrated on the table.
The Vice President retrieved his phone, and upon seeing the caller ID, his expression changed. He gestured apologetically to the President and others, then stepped outside to take the call.
"You shouldn't be calling me right now! I'm in the White House, in a meeting with the President. Damn it, do you realize the risk I'm taking just answering this call?"
Walking farther from the Secret Service agents stationed nearby, the Vice President answered, his voice tense.
"Relax, Mr. Vice President. Don't forget our arrangement. I have a minor issue that needs your assistance in cleaning up," came the calm, indifferent voice on the other end.
"What?"
The Vice President's voice rose involuntarily before he realized his outburst. He glanced around nervously, ensuring no one was paying attention, then lowered his voice.
"Damn it, you've gotten involved with the Avengers and kidnapped Pepper Potts and Natasha Romanoff. Do you have any idea what they call that man Blake here? A lunatic. A one-man army capable of taking on an entire battalion. You've picked the worst possible person to provoke!"
Wiping sweat from his forehead, he took a deep breath to steady himself.
"I'm already regretting our deal. Your actions are going to get us all killed!"
"You're overestimating those costumed clowns. The Avengers? They're nothing to me. Besides, I didn't do this for fun; it's for you. Our current product isn't stable, and the success rate is far too low. Is there any better experimental material than a highly trained Avenger from the Red Room?"
"Furthermore, we have Pepper Potts. If necessary, we can force Tony Stark to help us resolve the instability issues with Extremis. Injecting her with the virus would leave Stark with no choice but to cooperate."
"And let's not forget, Mr. Vice President, how much you value your little princess. Wouldn't it be tragic if, after regaining her ability to walk and enjoying a day in the garden with her dog, she suddenly... exploded?"
"Frankly, if this weren't such a critical time, I'd almost welcome those 'clowns' showing up at our door."
The mention of his daughter silenced the Vice President.
The voice on the other end waited patiently.
After half a minute, the Vice President finally asked for the details of the situation. Once the conversation ended, he made two additional calls before adjusting his attire and composure, returning to the Oval Office.
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Back at the Avengers
"We've expanded our search to cover more than 30 streets around the Chinese Theatre, reviewing all surveillance systems in the area. What's intriguing is that nearly half the surveillance footage for the hour following the explosion is mysteriously missing."
"I don't believe in coincidences. The only explanation is that someone deliberately erased the evidence to keep us from finding them."
"Also, team, I need access to the Widows' intelligence network and operational authority to monitor external movements. We need every advantage to locate Natasha and Miss Potts as quickly as possible."
Agent Hill, brought in by Hawkeye, had seamlessly integrated into the Avengers and taken charge of their intelligence operations at his suggestion.
"Though we don't have direct leads on their whereabouts yet, we do have some good news!"
Agent Hill began speaking as she brought out a tablet and played a video.
The video featured a Middle Eastern man with a long beard, embodying strong Islamic influences, claiming responsibility for the explosion at the Chinese Theatre.
The video was a chaotic montage, showing scenes of him praying for Islamic children, interspersed with footage of him using a rifle to shoot through a picture of the U.S. President.
In the final shot, the man appeared in close-up, staring provocatively into the camera as he spoke:
"Blake, Tony Stark, Avengers, superheroes—you claim to save the world. This time... let's see if the two of you can save the women you love!"
"Damn bastard!"
Tony slammed his fist on the table, then turned to look at Blake.
"Don't look at me. The footage is too chaotic, and there's no clear location. If I knew where he was, I'd have already opened a portal," Blake said, visibly frustrated.
He was telling the truth—though he suspected Killian from the start, he had no idea where the man was hiding.
Just as the group at the Sky Base was grappling with their next move, they received a call from the hospital. Happy had woken up. Though his injuries were severe, he was finally out of danger.
Tony immediately dragged Blake to the hospital.
At the hospital entrance, they were greeted by a throng of reporters. As soon as Blake and Tony appeared, they were surrounded by a sea of journalists.
"Mr. Blake, Mr. Stark, do you have any comments on the Mandarin's terrorist attack? Do you believe you can rescue your girlfriends?"
"The Mandarin has claimed responsibility for several prior bombings. Will the Avengers declare an all-out war on him?"
"If they use the hostages to force you into committing atrocities or orchestrating terror attacks, would you compromise?"
Countless microphones were thrust so close to their faces that they were nearly touching.
Tony was about to lose his temper when Blake abruptly snatched one of the microphones from a reporter and, in full view of everyone, crushed it into powder.
"I'm in a very bad mood right now. Extremely bad. Will I compromise? I don't know. But I do know this—if I lose control of my temper and accidentally kill a few reporters, will the police come after me?"
His cold gaze sent a chill through the crowd, and the reporters instinctively backed away several steps.
"We will rescue them. And I have a warning for the cowards who did this: You're nothing but a bunch of spineless fools who only know how to target women. Weaklings. Cowards. If you want to challenge the Avengers, come straight to our base. I'll be here waiting for you!"
With a wave of his hand, Blake opened a massive portal in the sky. The Sky Base instantly relocated from New York to Los Angeles, hovering less than a kilometer above the city.
Now, anyone in Los Angeles could simply look up to see the floating Sky Base.
"Do you know the difference between us and you? We're tigers—visible to the entire world, yet no one dares to confront us head-on. You? You're nothing but rats, scurrying in the shadows without the courage to show your faces."
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