Attack

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Malibu Villa, the setting sun painted the Pacific Ocean a blood-red hue.

Chen Tian leaned back on the sofa, his silver hair gleaming in the afterglow. He held a can of cola in his hand, his gaze following the golden-red figure pacing back and forth in the hall— Tony, fully armed in battle armor, was moving around the hall.

"You changed your lines at the press conference," Chen Tian suddenly spoke, his voice lazy yet tinged with helplessness. "I didn't expect you to reveal your home address so directly."

Tony stopped, his visor snapping open to reveal his tense face. "A last-minute decision. That old bastard likes to play mind games? Fine, I'll just put the battlefield right in front of him."

Chen Tian sighed and placed the Coke can on the coffee table, "You know what this means, right? The Ten Rings lunatics might already be on their way."

"I couldn't be happier." Tony sneered, the knuckles of his armor making a mechanical 'click-clack' sound. "It saves us the trouble of searching the world for them."

Just then, the villa's door was flung open. Pepper strode in, her blonde hair slightly disheveled, her face flushed with anger.

"Tony Stark!" Her voice nearly lifted the roof off. "Are you crazy? Announcing our home address live on a global broadcast?"

Tony turned around, giving him a reassuring smile, "Hey, sweetheart, let me explain—"

"Explain what?" Pepper grabbed the holographic remote control from the coffee table and brought up the news feed.

Tony's manifesto is playing on a loop on the screen, with the title 'Iron Man publicly challenges terrorist organizations' scrolling below.

She pointed sharply out the floor-to-ceiling window—in the distance, dozens of media vehicles had surrounded the villa, with the telephoto lenses of cameras pointed directly at their living room.

"Did you see those shots?" Pepper's voice was low but sharp with anger. "The whole world knows where we are now, including the Ten Rings! You've not only turned our home into a battlefield, but you've also turned it into a reality show!"

Chen Tian wisely stood up, preparing to slip away quietly, but Pepper's glare froze him in place.

"And you!" She turned to Chen Tian, her finger almost touching his nose. "Are you just going to watch him act like this?"

Chen Tian raised his hands in surrender. "I swear I knew absolutely nothing about it, but you know this guy's temper—"

"Enough!" Pepper took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She walked up to Tony, the height of the armor forcing her to look up. "Take off this metal suit, Tony. Now."

Surprisingly, Tony did as he was told. The nanotech armor receded like water, revealing his slender figure in a black T-shirt. He reached out to hug Pepper, but she dodged him.

"I'm not kidding," Pepper's voice trembled slightly. "Our newly renovated house, our home, has now become a battlefield? A shooting range broadcast globally?"

Tony's expression softened. "Pepper, listen, this is the fastest way. The Mandarin wants a show? I'll give him the stage. He wants to prove the Arbitrators are powerless? I'll show him what real power is."

He pointed to the media vehicles outside the window. "Those cameras? Perfect. Let the whole world see clearly what the Ten Rings are really facing."

The doorbell rang abruptly, breaking the tense atmosphere in the living room.

"Sir," JARVIS's voice came from the ceiling, "Captain Rogers requests entry."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Let him in."

The door slid open automatically, Steve Earth Flow in fully armed. He wore his signature dark blue combat uniform, a star-spangled shield slung over his back, and his brow was furrowed beneath his blond hair. When he saw Chen Tian in the living room, he visibly paused.

Chen Tian lazily raised a can of cola in greeting. "Long time no see, Captain."

Steve nodded slightly in response, his gaze lingering on Chen Tian's relaxed expression for a second before turning to Tony: "What's going on?" His voice was serious, "Why are you doing this?"

Tony spread his hands. "Wow, what a day! Everyone's come to my house for a public denunciation meeting?"

"Tony," Steve ignored his teasing, "I saw your declaration on the news. Publicly challenging the Ten Rings? And exposing your address to cameras all over the world?"

Pepper scoffed and crossed her arms. "Finally, someone who understands."

"Hey!" Tony protested, clearly annoyed. "I have my own plans too, you know!"

Steve walked up to Tony, his blue eyes staring directly at him. "Then explain it to me. Why did you make yourself a sitting duck?"

Tony's expression gradually turned serious. He snapped his the Snap, and a holographic map was immediately projected into the center of the living room, marking all the recent attack locations of the Ten Rings.

"Look at this pattern," Tony said, tracing the flashing red dots with his finger. "The Mandarin specifically targets vulnerabilities in defense systems. All seven attack locations are countries not part of the Global Defense System."

Chen Tian added, "He is very likely hiding in a country that has not joined a defense system."

Steve frowned, studying the map. "So your solution is... to turn your own house into bait?"

Tony took a deep breath. "The biggest obstacle preventing us from finding this guy right now is the so-called 'law'."

"The fact that we have not received authorization means that we cannot conduct large-scale search operations in these countries without authorization."

Tony scoffed. "Based on JARVIS's analysis of the Mandarin's expressions and actions, he's an extremely arrogant and showy person."

He turned to look at the media's cameras and microphones outside, "Then I'll give him the biggest stage. I believe he will cherish this performance."

After listening to Tony's words, Steve remained silent for a few seconds. He knew Tony too well—once this stubborn genius made up his mind about something, Hydra's brainwashing devices might not be able to change it.

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "So this is your plan? To turn your house into a battlefield and wait for that madman to come and throw a party with his army?"

Tony shrugged, a signature nonchalant smirk playing on his lips. "At least I'm the host of this party."

Steve's gaze swept over the flashing media lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, then fell on Pepper, who stood to the side, her face still grim. He turned to Tony, "What do you need me to do?"

Tony seemed to have been waiting for this question. He tilted his head towards Pepper: "Get her to the Arbitrator Tower for me."

"Tony!" Pepper protested immediately, but Steve had already walked over to her and gently took her arm.

"Miss Potts," Steve's voice was gentle yet firm, "This place will soon become very dangerous."

Pepper shook off his hand and turned to Tony: "I don't need to be protected! I can--"

"No, you can't." Tony interrupted her, unusually, his visor already covering his face again. "This isn't boardroom negotiation, Pepper. This is war."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds through their armor, before Pepper's shoulders finally slumped. She bit her lip and nodded, but before leaving, she poked Tony's breastplate hard. "If you dare blow up our house, I'll pay for it with all the sports cars in your collection."

Tony's lips twitched beneath his visor. "Deal."

Before Steve escorted Pepper out of the hall, he saw Chen Tian's amused expression, hesitated for a moment, and added to Tony, "Bucky is lying in wait in the rocky area on the other side of the coastline. He'll try his best to intercept any attackers coming from the sea."

Tony raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Wow, the Winter Soldier is personally acting as a sniper? Should I feel honored?"

Steve didn't reply, but gave Chen Tian a deep look, his eyes filled with a mixture of wariness and some complex emotions. In the end, he said nothing and left the living room with Pepper.

After seeing Steve leave with Pepper, Tony felt Taiseki lifted from his shoulders. He walked over to Chen Tian, retracting the visor of his armor, and put on a serious expression. "Seriously, why did you get involved in this?"

In the distance, the first star had already appeared in the twilight. Chen Tian lay sprawled on Tony's sofa, as limp as a lump of mud. "How could I miss out on such a good show?"

As he spoke, he winked at Tony, "At least with me here, I might be able to help you save a few sports cars."

Tony laughed. "No need, they can't get in."

As the last rays of the setting sun sank below the horizon, the lights in the villa automatically turned up, illuminating the living room as if it were daytime.

Chen Tian remained sprawled lazily on the sofa, his gaze thoughtfully drifting towards the floor-to-ceiling window—where the media's cameras and microphones were still aimed at the villa, flashes going off one after another.

"Looks like tonight's going to be quite lively," he chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Tony stood before the holographic projection, his fingers rapidly swiping through the data stream. The armor's visor had already closed again. "JARVIS, activate all defense protocols, including—"

His words were interrupted by the doorbell.

"Sir," JARVIS's voice rang out, "A visitor requests entry."

Tony frowned. "Who?"

"Maya Dr. Hansen."

The name made Tony pause visibly. His visor snapped open, revealing a puzzled expression. "Maya Hansen?" He frowned, turning to JARVIS. "That name sounds familiar..."

"Sir," JARVIS gently reminded you, "According to the records, you had a brief encounter with Dr. Hansen at the New Year's Eve party on December 31, 1999. At that time, she showed you a preliminary study on neural regeneration technology."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "1999? I was dead drunk that night, I don't remember anything." He turned to Chen Tian. "Do you know her?"

Chen Tian shrugged.

Tony ignored his movements, hesitated for a few seconds, and then said, "Let her in."

The door slid open, Maya stood in the doorway, her beige trench coat still damp with the night dew. Her long brown hair was casually tied back, and her face bore a tired yet still exquisite makeup. Seeing Tony's expression as if he were a stranger, a bitter smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Looks like I overestimated my presence." She walked straight to Tony, took a data chip from her trench coat pocket, and said, "But that's not important. What's important is that I know why the Ten Rings specifically target countries that haven't implemented defense systems."

Tony's visor retracted completely, but the armor's defense systems remained on alert. "Interesting," he said, arms crossed. "A woman who claims to know me but whom I don't remember suddenly appears in my house and claims to know about terrorist plans?"

Maya ignored his sarcasm and handed the chip directly to Tony, indicating that Tony should look at it himself.

Tony inserted the chip into the coffee table. JARVIS, through his armor, told the chip that there was no problem. Tony then gestured for JARVIS to unfold the holographic projection, which displayed a complex molecular structure and energy fluctuation simulation.

"Extremis Virus 2.0," her voice suddenly became professional, "Based on bioelectric technology, designed to repair human damage." She paused, a bitter smile playing on her lips, "Interestingly, the core algorithm of this virus... was invented by you."

Tony's expression froze instantly. "What?"

"New Year's Eve 1999," Maya's voice held a hint of sarcasm, "You were in my lab, completely drunk, scribbling formulas on a napkin." She looked up, meeting Tony's eyes directly. "I spent years researching neural regeneration technology, and you... solved all the key problems in just one drunken night."

Tony opened his mouth, but said nothing. Chen Tian had already appeared behind him, his eyes beneath his silver hair gleaming with amusement.

"So those attacks..." Chen Tian began.

"It's all a ruse," Maya interjected, swiping her finger across the holographic image to bring up a set of satellite images. "Look here, after each attack, an AIM research team is collecting data."

Tony suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Wait, AIM? Aldridge Killian? Isn't he still seeking investment? How could he do something so crazy?"

A flicker of pain crossed Maya's eyes. "It's insaneer than you think. He combined the formula you left behind with my research and turned it into a weapon." She pulled her hand away from Tony's. "Now he plans to use this to cripple the Global Defense System during the United Harmony Conference tomorrow."

JARVIS suddenly interjected, "Sir, satellite image analysis complete. It confirms traces of AIM research personnel activity at the sites of the three most recent attacks."

Tony's visor snapped shut instantly. "JARVIS, contact Rhodes and the captain immediately!"

Chen Tian had already put on his black trench coat. "Looks like we'll have to split up."

Maya suddenly grabbed Tony's armored arm. "Wait! There's something more important— Killian knows you'll send the main force to protect the villa. Tonight's attack is just a diversion; the real target is..."

"Arbitrator Tower," Tony replied, his voice coming through his armor. "That's the control center for the defense system." He turned to Maya. "Why are you helping us?"

A resolute glint flashed in Maya's eyes. "Because the technology I created is killing innocent people. And..." She gave a bitter laugh, "Killian has gone mad; he plans to use a virus to control the nervous system of the entire world."

She looked up at Tony's armor, her voice suddenly becoming very soft. "You know what? For over a decade, I've been studying that formula you left behind every day... and you don't even remember writing it down."

"Sir!" JARVIS's voice was urgent. "Twenty Extremis Virus carriers have been detected approaching from the beach! Contact is expected in 15 seconds!"

Tony's armor weapon systems were all activated. He looked out the window—twenty figures glowing with orange-red light were rushing toward the villa at an astonishing speed. Wherever they passed, the lawn burned and the flagstones melted.

Just as Tony was about to order JARVIS to activate the defense system, the lights in the villa suddenly flickered violently and then all went out, plunging the entire hall into darkness.

"JARVIS?" Tony quickly asked about JARVIS's condition.

The HUD inside the armor suddenly fluctuated violently, and JARVIS's voice came through. "Sir, the system has been compromised, the firewall has been breached, and all defense protocols within the villa are failing..."

Tony's pupils contracted sharply, and his expression beneath the mask froze instantly.

"Impossible," he whispered, his voice filled with disbelief. "I designed JARVIS's firewall myself; no one could—"

Chen Tian stood up and slowly walked towards the group of Extremis Soldier who were charging towards them. "Don't think too much about it, Tony. There must be an inside man among us."

He plucked the Blue Rose from his leg. "So, let's deal with them ourselves."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Tony, his eyes filled with mocking contempt, "Iron Man, you're not scared, are you?"

A smile flickered beneath Tony's visor as his energy core suddenly erupted with a blinding blue light, and his thrusters spewed out scorching flames.

"Scared?" Tony's voice was laced with pride. "Kid, are you kidding me?"

Before he could finish speaking, the mechanical wings on Tony's armor unfolded on his back, and a lightsaber popped out from his wrist.

He turned to Maya. "Maya, you're hiding in the lab downstairs. It's safe there."

After saying that, he turned back to face the Extremis Soldier charging towards him from outside.

"Kid, watch closely and learn a lot!" Tony laughed loudly, and the six mechanical wings behind him emitted Photon Wings, carrying him out of the hall.

Chen Tian saw Tony rush out of the villa, turned to look at Maya, and smiled slightly at her, a smile with an ambiguous meaning.

Then, with a turn of his head, he dashed out of the villa like a bolt of lightning.

As soon as the two left, Maya's face, which had been somewhat panicked, instantly turned gloomy.

She pressed down on her earring.

"Stark and his friends have left the villa; you may come in."

"Don't worry, the paralysis program I bought on the black market is very useful; it has already paralyzed all the systems in the villa."

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you in the underground lab."

(Here's an explanation of Maya Hansen's identity. In the original Iron Man 3 movie, the final villain was originally intended to be Maya Hansen. However, because Marvel executives believed that "female villain merchandise sales were not good," her role was transferred to Killian, leading to ambiguity in her character's positioning.)

(The author here has simply rebooted this setting.)

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