"Mr. Stark."
Tony Stark curled his lip. The sickeningly sweet voice on the Communication Channel made him want to vomit, but he could not show any emotion. "General, I'm checking the bomb's placement and the terrorists' hiding place." Fighting down his discomfort, he stepped into the brightly lit server room. He could clearly hear his own breathing and the faint whir of the Power Armor's joint servos—sounds the general, who had landed by helicopter on the other side of the city before rushing back, could not hear. Others could not understand how he felt while wearing the armor, but personally, he found that this rarely used Power Armor inevitably smelled faintly of fermented sweat. "The risk can't be ruled out yet."
"I know, I know. But the news media wants to know what's happening inside the command center. It'll just be a brief interview." The general continued in that affected voice. Tony Stark could almost picture him holding an A4 sheet handed over by some right-wing media outlet, covered in interview questions. "The entire news media in the United States knows you're dealing with a bomb at the command center, Mr. Stark. This is your first counterterrorism mission since the Avengers disbanded. Nearly the entire United States is watching this operation... I know there are other missions in Houston, but yours is more important, because you're protecting the American people and federal property."
"Friday."
Tony Stark switched Communication Channels and closed his call log with Pepper Potts.
The holographic tactical surveillance display showed him the scene outside the command center. Just as he expected, Armored Personnel Carriers belonging to the National Guard and SWAT had gathered there. Soldiers in camouflage combat uniforms and special police officers in black tactical gear had secured the area. Friday, the onboard AI, locked onto