Wearing Mark armor, they fell from the sky and crashed into the sea, unharmed.
"It's your turn next, and the main event will start right away."
At that moment, Blaine temporarily stopped on a pedestrian street in Washington, D.C.
Hunter suits and equipment were also included in his storage space.
After a busy day, it was time to rest for a while.
Staying in the sky all day, teleporting from time to time, and keeping flight mode always on—although his meditation technique constantly replenished mental power—Blaine still felt tired. Not physically, not even mentally, but psychologically.
After finally reaching the capital of the United States, Blaine still had to wander around, letting Killian live just a little longer.
In fact, many people mistakenly believe New York is the capital of the United States, but it isn't. The actual capital is Washington, D.C.—the District of Columbia—home to the White House and the President.
This is the political heart and cultural center of the nation, free of industrial atmosphere.
New York, by contrast, is an international metropolis and one of the largest economic centers in the world.
However, after looking around, Blaine didn't notice anything special about the U.S. capital.
He didn't know whether it was the president's kidnapping, the horrific live broadcasts of the Mandarin these past days, or the apparent death of Iron Man—but the whole neighborhood seemed dull, and several shops were even closed.
If people knew the vice president had just died, who knew what would happen? Blaine thought about it grimly.
The United States in this Marvel world truly seemed full of disasters.
After half an hour of wandering, he didn't find anything novel. The capital was as expected: landmarks, museums, and tourists everywhere.
During his walk, Blaine noticed many tourists taking souvenir photos, which sparked a few thoughts of his own.
Especially when he thought of delicacies—steamed lamb, bear's paw, deer tail, roast duck, roast goose—he wanted to try them all.
Just thinking about it made him feel hungry.
Fortunately, with so many tourists, there were naturally many high-end restaurants nearby.
Not wandering further, Blaine turned and entered a Michelin five-star hotel built close to the White House. It seemed politicians spent plenty of money here.
"Waiter, bring me Kobe beef, medium rare, and open a bottle of '82 Lafite."
After holding back for so long, eating only bread and jam every day, today he would finally enjoy a proper meal. Anyway, he was rich.
After a full meal, Blaine wiped his bulging stomach with satisfaction and walked out.
High-end restaurants were different—even mealtimes were formal. The dinner had taken him a full hour.
Since he was full, he needed some fun to digest. Fighting with a full stomach was never wise.
Conveniently, before dinner, Blaine had noticed a foot bath spa behind the hotel.
Unexpectedly, such places existed not only in remote places but even places like Washington, D.C. Maybe it was cultural exchange.
He strode in, looking every bit the nouveau riche.
"Hi, sir, what service do you need?"
To his surprise, the receptionist was Asian.
He soon learned the spa was owned by a Japanese boss. As expected—Americans would never think of such a profitable idea.
Lying in the presidential suite, Blaine was startled when a wretched-looking man entered.
"Don't tell me you're the one massaging me."
"Hey, boss, you really know how to joke. I'm the lobby manager. Do you need any special services...?"
The man's tone and cheap expression set Blaine's imagination running wild.
"Boss, don't misunderstand—we're a serious pedicure business."
"Uh… I—I'm here for serious services, of course."
Don't want too much? As if. That sleazy grin almost made him lose composure.
Fortunately, years of being single had taught him restraint.
After the man left, a sweet-looking young woman entered and began a proper massage and pedicure.
As expected in a presidential suite, Blaine felt completely refreshed afterward. He had nearly fallen asleep mid-treatment.
By the time he left, it was already six or seven in the evening. The sun was nearly down. The pace of life here was quick, and the days ended promptly—once work was done, the city seemed to fade into night.
Unexpectedly, that break had lasted until nightfall.
It was all because the capital was so charming. (Or perhaps the girls at the spa were too charming.)
"Okay, time to settle the score. It's time for me to perform."
In a dark corner, a sudden gust of wind stirred, and a black figure rose from the ground—Blaine, now fully armed.
During his massage, Blaine hadn't been idle. He had used his last paper crane to locate Killian.
New York, Port of Los Angeles.
This port had been leased by Killian's AIM company. Effectively, the entire Los Angeles port was under his control, swarming with Extremis-enhanced fighters.
"It's really surrounded on all sides," Blaine sneered, swooping down from a giant crane.
He had actually arrived three minutes earlier.
Using his telepathic abilities, he grasped all the information across the port within that time.
Killian truly intended to use Extremis to create an army capable of global destruction.
And inside the warehouses, experimentation was progressing rapidly.
Pong.
With a soft thud, Blaine landed firmly on the ground.
"Who's there?" A hidden guard's voice rang out.
A beam of light instantly illuminated the spot where Blaine had landed.
But there was only a punch-deep groove in the ground—no one else in sight.
The moment he touched down, Blaine had already used Shadow Stealth to melt into the darkness.
It wasn't that he feared showing his face.
With his strength, he could wipe out all of AIM's Extremis soldiers in the port instantly. But years of missions had honed his habits—strike silently, take heads unseen. Besides, scaring Killian into fleeing would waste the effort of tracking him.
Just as Blaine vanished, two more figures slipped into the Port of Los Angeles.
"Tony, are we really breaking in alone?"
"Who said we were alone? Wanted backup—just wait and see."
The two were Tony Stark and Colonel James Rhodes.
Yet they had entered armed only with pistols.
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