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Rodriguez wiped the smile off his face, his expression turning serious.
"As long as you succeed, I'll fully support you," he said. "That includes wiping out all mutants and pushing forward with the Sentinel program. No exceptions."
"You have my word," Colonel Stryker replied with a smile before turning to leave.
The moment he turned away, though, his smile vanished.
As long as I succeed?
Of course. Full support was only guaranteed if he pulled it off. If he failed, he'd be discarded like trash.
And what happened to discarded pieces?
Heh.
Just look at Killian.
Rodriguez was already preparing to cut him loose before the plan had even started. If Killian failed, his fate would be sealed.
But if you want something, you have to take risks.
Stryker loved an old Eastern saying:
"Fortune favors the bold."
If he didn't prove his worth to Rodriguez, how could he ever get what he truly wanted?
He wanted a lot. So what if he had to risk everything?
As long as he could perfect the Sentinel program using Trask's research, mutants, the Vice President, even the Avengers—
Heh.
They'd all be nothing.
After Stryker left, Rodriguez sat in silence for a while.
Then, suddenly, he picked up his phone.
"Keep an eye on Killian and Stryker," he ordered. "Make sure the mission succeeds. If it fails, you know what to do."
Stryker's plan was ambitious, but at the end of the day, he was just a regular human.
As for Killian? The helicopters he'd be using were provided by Rodriguez.
So, adding a little extra insurance to them was only natural.
Like, say, remote-controlled explosives.
After all, Rodriguez was a righteous Vice President. He would never be involved with terrorists.
And soon enough, he might just become the President.
Malibu Mansion.
Tony Stark was overseeing defensive preparations with his team.
Dozens of Iron Man suits were hidden in the area, and with J.A.R.V.I.S. on high alert, Tony was confident that no one could approach undetected.
"Rhodey, I need you to head back and dig up intel on Killian," Tony said. "We need to be ready for a counterattack."
He was relaxed, not taking the potential attack too seriously. If Pepper weren't here, he probably wouldn't even be this cautious.
Honestly, he wasn't convinced Killian had the guts to go through with it.
"Alright, I'll do what I can," Rhodey nodded. "I'll also keep an eye on things and get back here ASAP if needed."
Right now, it didn't matter whether he stayed or left. Finding information on Killian within the military was his real contribution.
As soon as Rhodey took off, Tony's phone rang. Nick Fury.
"Stark, I've requested military authorization to move Abomination. He'll arrive in Malibu within ten hours."
"I'm also sending a tactical team led by Rumlow. They'll be under your command."
Tony, despite his usual arrogance, actually took a moment to say, "Thanks, Fury."
He knew S.H.I.E.L.D. well enough to understand what this meant.
This was pretty much everything Fury could muster.
Rumlow wasn't weaker than Black Widow or Hawkeye. He was top-tier.
Hearing Tony's gratitude, Fury smirked to himself.
Well, that's rare. Tony Stark actually said 'thanks'?
"Forget it. Just do me a favor and tell Ron Stark I want to meet him sometime."
Tony's eye twitched. "Screw you, Fury!"
"Stay away from Ron! He's the future of Stark Industries!"
"If you're so free, why don't you focus on getting me that Adamantium shipment instead?!"
Tony was already part of the Avengers, constantly throwing himself into danger. He knew he could die at any moment.
During the Battle of New York, he was ready to sacrifice himself. He didn't die that time, but what about next time?
Now that Ron was back, Stark Industries finally had a solid heir.
That meant the next time he had to put his life on the line, he wouldn't hesitate.
And Fury? Fury wanted Ron for his own plans?
If Tony died, and Ron got sucked into S.H.I.E.L.D., what would happen to Stark Industries?
Tony's eyes narrowed.
For a moment, he didn't even want to deal with Killian anymore.
He felt like storming S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ and slapping Fury across the face.
See which was tougher—his face or Tony's armor.
Fury, on the other hand, barely reacted. "Alright, noted. Rumlow will check in when he arrives."
As if Tony's outburst didn't faze him in the slightest.
Please.
Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., had the thickest skin in the game.
Tony's threats? Completely useless.
Everything had to be done for the sake of the Avengers.
Fury was building a powerful team of superhumans.
When the time came, he wanted to shock Carol Danvers with it.
And Ron Stark was part of that plan.
Even Tony Stark wouldn't be able to stop him.
That's final.
"....."