-----
-----
Black Sky Units 16, 18, 22
Just as Nick Fury had issued his orders...
Not far away, inside Pierce's office.
Alexander Pierce had already received the news.
He immediately summoned Brock Rumlow, also known as Crossbones.
"Rumlow, the opportunity is here."
"Nick Fury will send people to assist Tony Stark."
"I'll recommend you to lead the team."
"Make sure you get close to Ron Stark."
"Try to recruit him into our organization. Understood?"
Rumlow stood up straight without hesitation.
"Hail Hydra!"
Pierce's eyes were solemn. "Hail Hydra!"
Sergeant Davis, Explain Yourself!
Staring at the bald subordinate before him, Aldrich Killian was furious.
Pepper had stalled him for days. He was done waiting.
He had planned to hit Stark hard, take him down in one swift move.
Capture Pepper in the process.
Everything had been carefully planned.
He was supposed to keep Pepper distracted.
Davis was responsible for handing over the Extremis virus to their inside man.
But before they could even begin...
Stark's people had already sensed something was wrong!
They had secretly started evacuating employees!
And Davis, that useless idiot...
Was sitting there with his legs crossed, daydreaming on the couch.
Completely oblivious.
In the end, Killian had to step in and execute the plan himself.
Even so, Pepper still managed to escape.
And the damage they caused? Barely anything.
This was nowhere near what he had envisioned.
It felt like he had set his eyes on a stunning beauty...
Got her drunk, brought her home, ready to enjoy the night...
Only to find out she was pretending to be drunk.
That wasn't even the worst part.
After a passionate night, her makeup smudged...
Revealing the truth—
A flat nose, crooked teeth, an underbite!
Disaster.
A Leak in the Plan
"Killian, I think someone leaked the plan."
Ellen Brandt spoke up.
She was a former special forces soldier.
Her arm had been blown off in battle.
But thanks to the Extremis virus, her body was restored.
Killian, after venting his frustration, was a little calmer now.
He fell silent for a few seconds, then turned to her.
"Who do you think it was?"
Ellen Brandt glanced upward.
"Dr. Maya Hansen."
They were underground, right below the research lab.
"She's the only one with ties to Tony."
"And unlike us, she only cares about the science."
"She completely disapproves of what we're doing."
"If you hadn't stopped her, Killian, she would've destroyed the research data already."
Maya Hansen had managed to get into Tony's bed.
Which meant she had some level of influence in society.
Unlike the rest of them—
Soldiers who were discarded after their service.
America treated them like burdens.
Surviving the battlefield had already left them with PTSD.
Every day was filled with anxiety and depression.
And being disabled made them feel like human trash.
There was no light in their world.
Only darkness.
So whether it was terrorism or revenge, it didn't matter to them.
But Maya Hansen wasn't like that.
Killian thought for a moment.
His expression showed he agreed with Brandt's words.
"What do you suggest?"
Ellen Brandt's eyes turned cold with killing intent.
"Kill her."
A hint of the same intent flickered in Killian's eyes.
But it quickly faded.
He shook his head. "No."
"She's the lead researcher on the Extremis virus."
"We still need her for improvements."
Ellen Brandt gritted her teeth.
"Then we lock her up for now."
Killian's face darkened, then he nodded.
"Fine."
"Once the Extremis virus is perfected, she'll be useless."
Davis suddenly spoke up, filled with rage.
"Killian, I want to deal with her personally!"
An Unexpected Call
Just as Killian was giving orders to capture Maya Hansen and planning his next move...
His phone rang.
"Rodriguez?"
As soon as he answered, a barrage of yelling came from the other end.
"Killian! How the hell did you get exposed?!"
"Why hasn't the plan to kidnap President Ellis even started, yet Tony already knows about you?!"
"I need an explanation!"
Killian narrowed his eyes.
Annoyance all over his face.
The leak had already pissed him off.
Now, he finally snapped.
"You want an explanation?"
"Rodriguez, let's be clear—YOU need ME, not the other way around!"
"You begged ME to fix your daughter's legs!"
"YOU needed ME to kidnap Ellis and take him out!"
"So YOU could move up from Vice President to President!"
"If you're not going to be useful and just keep whining..."
"Then before I kill Tony Stark... I'll send my people to wipe out your entire family first!"
"....."