The unstable Extremis virus causes biological organisms to overheat, turning any infected individual into a bomb capable of generating temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees Celsius—enough to vaporize anyone caught in the blast radius.
Dr. Aldrich Killian had ticulously planned for this.
First, nearly everyone who knew about the explosive potential of the Extremis virus was part of A.I.M.
This ant no one would associate the attack with either Killian himself or his organization.
Second, according to his plan, he would be at the site delivering a speech when the incident occurred.
No sane person would stage such a catastrophic "firework display" at their own event—making Killian above suspicion.
That was the kind of man Aldrich Killian was—relentless, ruthless, brilliant, and utterly unhinged.
It was this very mindset that had once driven him to push Tony Stark to the brink in the MCU tiline, nearly seizing control of the United States in pursuit of his grand vision.
However, none of that was going to happen.
[Enter "Hamr of Heaven"]
In low Earth orbit, the "Halo-9" orbital weapons platform, owned by Rhodes Island Industries, swiftly adjusted its trajectory under the direct command of Kagura Hitomi.
The station deployed a 20-ter-long railgun, aid directly at the dical hearing in Washington, D.C.
This advanced electromagnetic railgun, composed of three acceleration rails, was part of Kagura's ongoing "Orbital Kinetic Defense Weapon System."
Its codena: "Hamr of Heaven."
Kagura had previously used similar railgun technology against Hamr Industries' drone army and Asgard's Destroyer armor.
While effective, those earlier models suffered from enormous energy consumption.
To improve on this, she not only worked on miniaturization and energy efficiency but also developed larger, more powerful models without sacrificing power output.
The "Hamr of Heaven" railgun was the pinnacle of this advancent.
Originally designed to counter extraterrestrial threats—such as a Chitauri mothership within Earth's vicinity—it was also capable of centiter-level precision strikes anywhere on the planet from orbit.
Equipped with solar panels and a stable ion thruster attitude control system, the station overca energy limitations and targeting accuracy challenges, making it a formidable defensive asset.
'BOOM!'
The railgun fired.
A brilliant blue light streaked across space, montarily linking heaven and Earth with a dazzling beam.
After a brief delay, the projectile—accelerated to near-light speed—descended upon Washington, D.C.
Though small in mass, the sheer velocity of the electromagnetic projectile generated an imnse kinetic impact.
Even at minimal power, "Hamr of Heaven" could pierce an Abrams tank with ease, obliterating a reinforced concrete bunker as collateral damage.
Inside the hearing hall, the infected man's body temperature was reaching critical levels.
As he let out a final scream, his body straightened, glowing a fierce orange from the intense heat.
But before he could detonate, a bolt of blue lightning crashed through the tal roof of the venue, striking him with pinpoint accuracy.
The Extremis virus's explosive reaction stemd from an uncontrolled activation of DNA repair units within the brain.
If the brain was neutralized before detonation, the overheating process would cease imdiately.
By using an orbital kinetic weapon to instantly vaporize the infected host, any potential explosion was effectively prevented.
A powerful shockwave erupted through the hall, sending chairs, tables, and nearly a hundred people—including Kagura—flying before crashing back down in a dramatic, circular pattern.
"Ugh..."
Dazed, Kagura pushed aside debris and clutched her throbbing head.
"Cortana! Status report!"
"Orbital kinetic defense weapon successfully struck the target."
"The threat has been completely neutralized."
"Anomalous temperature spikes have ceased."
"Seven minor injuries reported, no fatalities."
"Power supply for the building is disrupted, but structural integrity remains intact."
A wave of relief washed over Kagura as she exhaled deeply. "Thank goodness."
"However..." Cortana continued, "The Halo-9 station suffered an irreversible fire due to capacitor overload from the railgun discharge."
"The station is now destroyed and has re-entered the atmosphere."
Well... that wasn't ideal.
But at least the dical experts in attendance had been saved.
As Kagura turned her gaze toward the podium, she spotted Killian.
The mont he realized his plan had failed, a look of disgust flashed across his face.
Seizing the mont of chaos, he swiftly exited through the back door.
Kagura's eyes narrowed.
'This fight is far from over.'
'The Extremis virus—I have to get my hands on it.'
'And if Killian thinks he can continue using its unstable properties for his twisted ambitions, then I'll make sure to take him down for good.'
Though Killian's attack had been thwarted, the crisis at the hearing wasn't over yet.
Before security personnel could fully evacuate the attendees, the massive LED screen behind the podium flickered violently, hijacked by an unknown hacker.
At the sa ti, across the United States, civilian satellite television networks were also compromised.
A mysterious broadcast signal forcibly overrode all channels—except for those operated by Rhodes Island Industries, whose cutting-edge cybersecurity remained impenetrable.
Kagura smirked slightly. "Killian's hacking skills aren't even close. He'd need at least twenty more years before he could crack Rhodes Island's defenses."
However, her expression darkened as she saw the images appearing on the screen.
The massive Ten Rings emblem erged, followed by a montage of violent attacks—cities in flas, battlefields strewn with corpses, civilians subjected to brutal executions. A wave of dread swept over the audience.
Then, a deep, ominous voice rang out:
"Aricans. You know who I am. But you cannot find ."
"So call a terrorist, a warlord, a murderer. I call myself a teacher. And today, I bring you a lesson in warfare."
"Four coordinated attacks on U.S. military installations—I orchestrated them. Seventeen hours ago, an airbase in Kuwait was annihilated—I orchestrated that, too."
"Arica, are you ready for your next lesson?"
"I am the Mandarin. And you will never see coming."
———————————————————————
Daily Uploads!
Unlock bonus Chapters by reaching specific milestones with [Power Stone] votes!
Please support at p-atreon/InsomniaTL to access more than 50 advanced Chapters. Q-Q
Reviews
All reviews (0)