War Machine Rhodes lay on a hospital bed in the military medical center, his body wrapped in layers of bandages. Though he wore a smile, his eyes revealed exhaustion and pain. During his fierce battle with the desperado warriors earlier, he had suffered serious injuries—but he had no regrets. He knew he fought to protect the people.
While he was lost in the quiet of the ward, footsteps approached from outside.
"Rhodey, we came to see you!" A familiar, friendly voice sounded. Tony Stark and Pepper Potts walked into the room carrying gifts.
"Hey, buddy, you're a real hero!" Tony waved jokingly, holding a bag of snacks.
"Yeah, Rhodey, you were amazing!" Pepper added with a warm smile, handing him a bouquet of flowers.
Rhodes laughed. Despite his injuries, his mood lifted. "You two really know how to comfort a guy. These are just scratches—I can still fight."
"Oh, look at you acting all fearless," Tony teased again.
Rhodes fought back with a grin. "Please, you know I'm War Machine. Taking down an engineer like you is easy work."
The three chatted and laughed, filling the room with lighthearted warmth. Their gifts made Rhodes genuinely touched.
"Thank you… really. Having you two here makes me feel so much better."
"How could we not visit? You're our friend—and our hero," Pepper said gently.
Tony added, "Yeah, Rhodey. You're a brave fighter, and we're proud of you."
"Alright, enough with the praise," Rhodes laughed, cutting them off. "So, how did you two end up coming together?"
Pepper smiled. "Tony said he wanted to see you, so I came along. We brought snacks too."
"I know these are your favorites," Pepper said, handing him the bag full of chips and candies.
"Thanks. Really," Rhodes said sincerely.
They spent some time chatting about life, recent happenings, and work. Tony occasionally cracked a joke, making Rhodes laugh. Pepper kept reminding him to rest and take care of his injuries.
But after a while, Tony's expression grew serious. He looked at Rhodes and asked, "Rhodey… who exactly were those terrorists you fought?"
Rhodes was surprised. With Tony's personality, shouldn't he already know something? But thinking again, maybe Tony only knew bits and pieces.
Rhodes furrowed his brows, recalling the battle. "They called themselves the 'Despair Warriors.' Their leader seemed to be someone called 'Mandarin.' They were strong—had some kind of strange regeneration, almost supernatural. And they could control extreme heat."
"Heat?" Tony lifted an eyebrow with a mischievous smile.
"You idiot! I know exactly what you're thinking!" Pepper instantly noticed Tony's suspicious expression and smacked him on the head.
Tony stared at Pepper in pain while she looked back with a fake, stern smile.
"Okay, okay, I surrender."
He turned back to Rhodes. "This 'Mandarin' sounds interesting. Maybe these guys are part of a bigger organization. Their abilities aren't simple."
"I think so too. Their regenerative abilities must come from some technology—or something supernatural," Rhodes said seriously.
Tony nodded. Once he got home, he'd have JARVIS dig into the name "Mandarin." The real power behind this group might be hiding in the shadows—plotting something much bigger.
"Rhodey, get some rest. When you're better, I'll throw you a private party," Tony said with a meaningful glance.
Rhodes smiled and blinked quickly, signaling he understood. "When I'm recovered, I'll take you on in 300 rounds."
…
Inside a bank hall, a group of robbers armed with cold weapons threatened hostages viciously. They'd been injected with the Extremis virus, enhancing their abilities. Even if shot, they healed instantly. One robber shouted:
"Don't move! Or face the consequences!"
Terrified hostages huddled together. The atmosphere was tense and suffocating. Empowered by the virus, the robbers felt invincible—drunk on their newfound strength and driven mad by it.
A security guard tried to intervene but was knocked down easily. The robbers laughed arrogantly, convinced they controlled the situation.
Then—lightning flashed.
A figure in a suit of crackling electricity appeared at the entrance.
"Stop! Drop your weapons!" Electro's voice echoed coldly.
"Damn it! It's Electro!"
The robbers froze. Though they possessed the Extremis virus, facing a real superhero like Electro terrified them.
Some robbers suddenly began showing signs of rejection—their bodies heating to dangerous levels, on the verge of exploding.
"Damn it! We can't control the Extremis virus!" one robber screamed.
Chaos erupted. One robber charged at Electro, relying on his enhanced abilities. Electro dodged easily and struck him with a lightning-charged punch.
The robber collapsed, convulsing violently, unable to move again.
"Anyone else?" Electro swept his gaze across the hall, his voice deadly calm.
The remaining robbers panicked, dropping their weapons.
Some, still unable to adapt to the virus, went into rejection shock—but strangely, the reaction vanished quickly.
"Restrain them!" Police rushed in, cuffing the robbers with protective gloves.
"You be careful," Electro warned the police chief. "Release too much pressure and they'll explode."
The chief froze in shock.
"Explode?"
"Yes. Explode." Electro answered calmly.
Recently, he had been tracking the mastermind behind these Extremis-enhanced criminals—but every time, these warriors turned out to be buyers, not sellers.
He briefly considered the Hawke Group… but immediately shook his head.
Then Electro noticed the TV screen playing a broadcast.
The Mandarin appeared, dressed in extravagant clothing, radiating arrogance. Behind him hung a massive flag. He stood in a luxurious hall with a commanding presence.
"Dear American government, I declare war on you!" Mandarin announced loudly. "On behalf of the Despair Warriors, we will plunge America into fear and chaos!"
Images of his frenzied followers appeared, their faces twisted with fanaticism.
"Your nation is corrupted by hypocrisy. Your government betrayed justice. They call us—cast aside by society—'terrorists.' Must we accept your labels?"
Mandarin's Mandarin-accented voice burned with anger.
"Your country was built on lies. Your hero, Iron Man, is a fraud—using money and technology to manipulate the people!"
Then Mandarin stared straight into the camera, as though speaking directly to someone specific.
"War Machine, did you hear me?" he said coldly. "You are America's hero—but you cannot stop us. I offer you one last chance. Surrender and join me… or be destroyed."
"From now on, every Tuesday, I will show you something terrifying—until your government kneels, and until you see the truth of your society."
"You will tremble at my feet! You will taste despair! All of you are merely pawns—I will make you watch your country collapse!"
Mandarin's voice grew louder, sharper, more terrifying.
His threats shocked the American public. His terror attacks sent waves of panic across the country. People watched their screens in fear.
In the military hospital, Rhodes lay on his bed, staring at the screen, watching Mandarin's speech.He could feel the villain's fixation on him—Mandarin was speaking to him directly.
The enemy before him was the strongest he had ever faced.
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