The lobby of Pioneer Technology's A.I.M. headquarters was quiet and pristine, the polished floors reflecting the sterile glow of overhead lights. The moment Ethan Blake stepped through the entrance, a uniformed security guard moved to intercept him. The man raised a hand politely but firmly, studying Ethan with cautious professionalism before speaking.
"Sir, can I help you with something?" the guard asked.
Ethan stopped without the slightest hint of impatience. His expression remained relaxed, almost amused, as if the situation had unfolded exactly as he expected.
"I'm here to see your president, Aldrich Killian," he replied calmly.
The guard's brows pulled together slightly. Visitors didn't usually walk in asking directly for the company president.
"Do you have an appointment, sir?" the guard asked.
Ethan gave a faint smile and shook his head. "No appointment. But you can call him and tell him a friend of the Mandarin is here to see him. I think he'll agree to meet me."
At this point in time, the so-called Mandarin should still exist only within Killian's secret preparations. The public had never heard the name. Ethan couldn't help feeling a bit curious about what expression Killian would make when he heard those three words.
The thought alone amused him.
The security guard hesitated, clearly uncertain. Still, Ethan's clothing was neat and expensive, his posture confident. Nothing about him suggested a lunatic making wild claims.
After a moment, the guard nodded and walked toward the front desk to make the call.
A few minutes later he returned, moving much faster than before. The hesitation from earlier had disappeared from his face.
"The president will see you in his office, sir," the guard said respectfully. "Please follow me."
Ethan nodded once and walked with him through the sleek hallways of the A.I.M. building. The interior design emphasized cutting-edge technology and wealth—glass walls, modern sculptures, and quiet employees moving with purpose.
Soon they reached a large office door.
The guard opened it, gestured politely, and then stepped away once Ethan entered.
Inside the office, Aldrich Killian sat behind his desk. His sharp eyes immediately fixed on Ethan, studying him with obvious suspicion.
Ethan calmly walked inside and closed the door behind him before taking a seat without asking permission. The casual gesture clearly irritated the scientist.
Killian finally spoke, his tone cold and controlled.
"Who are you?" he asked. "And for the record, I don't know any Mandarin."
Ethan leaned back in the chair comfortably and looked at him with interest, as if watching an entertaining performance.
"You don't know him?" Ethan said with a small smile. "Then why did you agree to see me the moment you heard his name? Still planning to deny it? Do you want a hint?"
He paused deliberately.
"Boom. Human body explosion."
The color drained from Killian's face for a moment. The phrase hit too close to the secret experiments he was conducting.
His eyes narrowed sharply.
"Who are you?" Killian demanded again. "And what exactly do you want?"
Ethan had already exposed enough that pretending further felt pointless. Still, he didn't intend to reveal everything.
"My name is Ethan Blake," he said casually. "Director of the FBI's New York field office."
The moment he heard that identity, Killian let out a mocking laugh. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, his expression turning openly contemptuous.
"You're here to arrest me?" Killian said with a sneer. "Do you have any evidence?"
Even if someone somehow learned fragments of his research, there was still no crime. His plan hadn't even officially begun yet. Under American law, even imagined crimes weren't punishable.
Ethan shook his head slightly.
"I think you misunderstood something," he said. "I didn't come here as a law enforcement officer today. I came here as a private individual."
Killian studied him for a moment before replying.
"Fine," he said flatly. "Then tell me what you want."
In his mind, the situation seemed obvious. Ethan must have learned something about his secrets and had come here to blackmail him.
A cold flash of murderous intent passed through Killian's eyes. He decided he would agree to whatever terms Ethan demanded—for now.
Then he would eliminate him within two days.
Ethan spoke without hesitation.
"I want Pioneer Technology," he said lightly, "and I want Extremis."
Extremis was an extraordinary piece of technology. When Pepper Potts had been injected with it, she tore apart Iron Man armor with her bare hands. Tony Stark himself had once used Extremis to integrate armor directly into his body, allowing the suit to flow from beneath his skin like liquid metal.
The possibilities were enormous.
Killian stared at Ethan for a full second before laughing angrily.
"You must be joking."
Moments earlier he had been prepared to pretend cooperation no matter the demand. But this request was completely absurd.
There was no universe where he would hand over both his company and his life's research.
Ethan's smile remained calm.
"I'm not joking," he said. "And I'm confident you'll agree."
"Agree willingly."
Killian looked at him as if he were insane.
Willingly? Was this man a fool?
The conversation had clearly become pointless. Killian reached for the phone on his desk, intending to call security and have Ethan thrown out immediately.
But before his fingers touched the receiver, something strange happened.
A slender wand suddenly appeared in Ethan's hand.
It pointed directly at him.
"Imperio."
The Imperius Curse.
One of the three Unforgivable Curses from the world of Harry Potter. It was a terrifying form of dark magic that stripped away a victim's will, forcing them to obey the caster's commands.
A person under its control could technically resist—but only with extraordinary mental strength.
Killian had absolutely no chance.
With Ethan's mastery of the spell, resistance was impossible.
Ethan felt no moral hesitation about using it. This was the Marvel universe. Aside from him, no one here even knew the Imperius Curse existed, much less that it belonged to a category of forbidden magic.
If anyone tried to categorize Ethan morally, he probably belonged somewhere between chaos and kindness. He followed his own will above all else and had little patience for rules or expectations imposed by others.
At the same time, he wasn't cruel for cruelty's sake.
He believed in the idea of justice and goodness, but he considered laws and social norms largely useless—at least when applied to him.
As long as his actions didn't violate his own personal bottom line, he would do whatever he wanted.
And his personal bottom line was extremely low.
Using the Imperius Curse to control Killian didn't trouble him in the slightest. In fact, by controlling Killian directly, Ethan might actually prevent countless explosions and terrorist attacks in the future.
You could even say he was secretly doing good deeds.
Someone should probably start calling him a hero.
Killian slowly lowered his hand from the phone. He stood up from his chair, bowed his head respectfully toward Ethan, and spoke in a submissive voice.
"Yes, Master."
Ethan rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and looked at him calmly.
"Do you have any objections to handing Pioneer Technology and Extremis over to me?" he asked.
"No," Killian replied immediately. "It is my honor to offer them to you, Master."
Ethan chuckled.
"See? Exactly what I said earlier." He leaned forward slightly and continued, "For now, leave Pioneer Technology as it is. Your first priority is preparing all the research data on Extremis. I'll contact you when I need it."
He paused briefly.
"And another thing. I don't like being called 'Master.' Just call me Mr. Blake."
"Yes, sir," Killian answered without hesitation.
Ethan began thinking through his plans.
The spider serum would serve as the foundation. It could then be enhanced with both the Super Soldier Serum and Extremis. Combining those three elements might produce an entirely new type of serum.
Now the research materials were secured.
But there were still major problems.
He lacked a research facility and a full team of scientists.
Killian himself counted as one researcher. Pioneer Technology also had Maya Hansen, who could contribute. And if necessary, Ethan could probably drag Tony Stark into the project as well.
The real problem was the laboratory.
Constructing a research facility capable of advanced biological engineering required billions of dollars. Some specialized equipment simply wasn't available for purchase on the open market.
Even if it were, Ethan didn't currently have the money.
He technically owned fifteen percent of Stark Industries and received annual dividends. Unfortunately, most of the dividends from the previous two years had already been spent.
And for the next three years, there would be no payouts at all.
Tony Stark had publicly announced that Stark Industries would donate all dividends—including this year's—to help rebuild New York after the alien invasion.
That meant Ethan needed another solution.
If he couldn't pay for it…
He would just have to get it for free.
Soon, a certain unfortunate target popped into Ethan's mind.
....
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