"Nightclub, go assist Ghost! Saboteurs, the disco is surrounded by several Extremis soldiers—take care of them!"
"Silver Centurion, handle the ones up front. Red Snapper, get ready to come with me for the rescue!"
Tony gave the commands while Jarvis operated the suits. All the armors were built from expensive gold-titanium alloy, capable of withstanding temperatures up to 3,000 degrees. The material was practically impervious to melting, and the suits moved with incredible agility, hitting hard and retreating quickly.
Not to mention, Thor was providing sporadic lightning strikes from the sky, ensuring that Tony and Blake could effectively stay out of the battlefield.
"Blake, I think I've located them. See those shipping containers up there? They've been modified. They should be inside!"
Blake, who had been searching through the lower cabins of the ship without success, flew up from the other side of the cruise ship.
"Guess I need to pay more attention to movie details in the future," Blake muttered, before he and Tony, coming from opposite directions, tore through the outer shells of the containers and rushed inside.
The makeshift lab, pieced together from multiple containers, now held only four people.
Aside from Natasha and Pepper, who were still bound to stretchers, there were Aldrich Killian and his top lieutenant, Eric Savin.
"Oh! Two superheroes coming to save their women. How touching!" Killian sneered, standing between Natasha and Pepper, while Eric Savin remained behind him, chewing gum with his usual smug disdain.
Although there weren't any cameras outside, Killian had taken a look earlier.
What he saw left him stunned—Stark's suits were not only incredibly powerful but also astonishingly numerous.
Killian's prized Extremis soldier army had been utterly decimated by just three Avengers.
It was all so ironic. It felt like that rooftop scene 13 years ago, where his hopeful anticipation had been met with nothing but cold wind.
Back then, what crushed him was Stark's indifference. Today, it was still Stark. With his Iron Legion alone, Tony had dismantled everything Killian had built.
Killian's years of ambition had now crumbled into ruin. At this moment, he had only one thought: to defeat the two Avengers in front of him—or more precisely, to defeat Tony Stark.
Unfortunately, Blake didn't give him that chance. As Killian opened his mouth to speak again, Blake, moving at a speed beyond their comprehension, was suddenly in front of them.
Grabbing both Killian and Savin by the neck, he lifted them off the ground with one hand each.
"Where does your arrogance come from?" Blake's voice was cold. "The Extremis virus you're so proud of? Its creator was Maya Hansen, and the formula's refinement came from Tony. You've been nothing but a parasite this whole time."
"Even standing on the shoulders of those two, you've solved none of the core issues after all these years. In the end, you thought to threaten Tony into solving your problems for you? Ridiculous. Now tell me—where does that defiant look on your face come from? Who gave you such misplaced confidence?"
As Blake held them by the neck, both Killian and Savin immediately activated the energy within their bodies, directing their extreme heat toward Blake's arms and torso.
But to their despair, no matter how high they raised the temperature, they didn't even manage to singe a single hair on Blake's arm.
What crushed them further was that even Blake's clothing was entirely resistant to their high heat.
This defied everything they understood.
But Blake didn't seem interested in explaining. In Killian's stunned gaze, blue flames erupted from Blake's left hand, instantly incinerating Eric Savin into ash.
Yes, in mere seconds, Eric Savin didn't even have a chance to self-destruct before he was vaporized on the spot.
"You know, there's a idiom that perfectly describes that look on your face—'sitting in a well and looking at the sky'. It's like a frog at the bottom of a well, seeing the vastness of the sky for the first time."
"Now, kneel!"
With overwhelming strength, Blake forced Killian to kneel in Tony's direction.
"Thirteen years ago, you failed to seek help from this man. Later, you worked tirelessly to consolidate resources and plan your revenge—a respectable ambition. I wouldn't have interfered with that. But when your plan hit a wall, you turned to the same man you wanted revenge on, asking for his help?"
"Do you realize how pathetic that is? It's like a rebellious child running away from home, only to shamelessly call their father for money when they run out!"
"Come on! Call him Daddy!"
With a slight shake of Blake's hand, Killian was slammed onto the ground. Blake placed his foot on him.
"Hurry up, call him Daddy!"
As soon as Blake acted, Tony immediately rushed to rescue Pepper and Natasha.
Now, the three of them stood nearby, looking at Killian on the ground with complex expressions.
"Blake! Just kill him!"
Tony glanced at Killian, his expression conflicted. After all, he had inadvertently created this monster himself.
"I don't really care," Blake shrugged indifferently. "I just find it annoying how this guy, instead of straightforwardly seeking revenge for being humiliated, had to make such a mess of things."
Just as Blake raised a hand to unleash a flame to finish Killian off, he suddenly felt the ground beneath him give way.
It turned out that Killian had been emitting heat all this time, slowly melting the floor beneath them. It had finally softened to the point where Killian fell through.
"Don't worry, he's not going anywhere," Blake said calmly, glancing at the hole in the ground.
Opening a portal, the four of them instantly transported to the shore.
At that moment, Rhodey had just rescued the president, who was being lowered to safety by one of the Iron Man suits.
Looking back at the cruise ship, the battle was nearly over. The Iron Legion had completely surrounded the ship from the skies.
Only a few remaining Extremis soldiers on board were stubbornly resisting, using obstacles for cover. But it was clear that Jarvis could handle them without issue.
"Blake, now that everyone's been rescued, great job! You can open a portal to send the president back first," Rhodey suggested.
Blake glanced at Rhodey and the U.S. president, a faint smile creeping onto his face.
"Natasha, I'll send you, the president, and Pepper back to the base first. Once there, arrange for someone to escort the president to the White House. And remember—make it a grand affair. Bring in more reporters if possible. After all, we wouldn't want to downplay the president's status."
Tony chimed in to reassure Pepper, "Don't worry, you all head back first. We'll finish things up here and follow soon. As for the virus in your system, I've already got a way to fix it. Trust me, my dear, you won't have to deal with this forever."
"Mr. Blake, why not just send me directly back to the White House? You're aware of my position, and it's crucial we handle this discreetly," the president stepped forward, addressing Blake.
"No, Mr. President. The world is not safe. It's better for the Avengers to escort you back," Blake replied firmly.
Before Rhodey could speak up, Blake cut him off sharply.
"Rhodey, if you don't want me holding a press conference about what happened to you this afternoon, I suggest you keep your mouth shut!"
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