Marvel Brodcast : Spoiling Spider-man

[Rhodes pressed the gun against Trevor's head, stepping on the chair to increase the intimidation factor. "If you dare to move, I will blow your face off!"]

[Trevor looked at Tony plaintively. "I never knew anyone was hurt. They lied to me!"]

[Like Tony before him, Rhodes turned with an incredulous expression. "This is the Mandarin?"]

[Tony couldn't bear to watch. "I know, it's... it's embarrassing!"]

[Trevor extended his hand toward Rhodes. "Hello! I'm Trevor!"]

[Rhodes slapped his hand away, but Trevor continued undeterred. "I know, I'm a little short and thin, everyone says so, but... hey, if you guys are here to arrest me, I have to make a phone call first!"]

[Tony interrupted him. "Let me explain the situation to you, Meryl Streep!" His reference to the acclaimed actress was a sarcastic jab at Trevor's theatrical performance.]

["I'll stop only when you tell him where Pepper is!" Tony gestured toward Rhodes.]

[Trevor still didn't grasp the gravity of the situation. "Stop what?"]

[Rhodes pressed the still-hot gun barrel against Trevor's cheek, causing him to yelp in pain. "Ow! I get it! It hurts! I understand! I understand!"]

[Trevor covered his ears defensively. "I don't know who Pepper is! But I know their plan!"]

[Tony urged impatiently, "Then tell us, now!"]

[Rhodes, more concerned about his stolen armor, demanded, "What did they do with my suit?"]

["What? No idea! But I know the location is on the coast! Something about a big ship! I can take you there!" While Trevor didn't know about the Iron Patriot, he'd revealed another crucial piece of information.]

[Rhodes deflated slightly, worried about what Killian planned to do with his armor.]

[Suddenly, Trevor shouted excitedly, startling Rhodes. A player on the television had scored a goal, and Trevor began humming cheerfully, completely disregarding the circumstances.]

["Tony, I swear, I'm going to smash his face!" Rhodes snapped back to the moment, his patience exhausted. He turned to Tony with a threatening glare toward Trevor.]

[Sensing the danger, Trevor quickly offered another revelation to save himself. "Oh! And this whole thing involves the Vice President! Is that... is that important?"]

["I'd say so!" Tony and Rhodes exchanged significant looks.]

["Yeah, that's important," they agreed in unison. Tony leaned in to confer with Rhodes. "What do we do now?"]

[Rhodes frowned. "We still have no transportation!"]

[Tony turned back toward Trevor, with Rhodes following his gaze. Trevor sat holding a beer glass with a bewildered expression.]

["Hey, Ringo! Didn't you mention something about a nice speedboat?" Tony asked, throwing in a Beatles reference to mock Trevor further.]

[Trevor blinked in response.]

Banner narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Influenced by his former father-in-law's political machinations, Banner harbored deep distrust toward most government officials. "These people will do anything for power!"

"He wants to be president," Rhodes realized immediately. "That explains why the Mandarin has been threatening Ellis. If something happens to the President, the Vice President automatically takes office."

"The ambitious man remains as ambitious as ever," Steve Rogers sighed heavily.

In their timeline, the Vice President had already resigned voluntarily and would face trial according to the law, though this information wasn't yet public knowledge.

The benefit of his coming clean to President Ellis was that only he would face consequences—his family would remain untouched by scandal, and he wouldn't have to weather the storm of public outrage. Additionally, his political party could negotiate on his behalf.

When the scandal broke, the White House had rapidly prepared for a national press conference, though this held little relevance for Tony and the others at this point.

[The scene changed to show a speedboat racing across the water.]

[Tony spoke urgently to Rhodes as they cut through the waves. "If what Trevor said is correct, we're still twenty minutes away from reaching Pepper!"]

[Rhodes reminded him, "We still need to address the Vice President situation, right?"]

[Tony glanced at his friend with a confident smile. "Already on it. Guess who I'm calling? The Vice President himself!"]

[On the other end of the line, the Vice President was hosting a birthday celebration for his granddaughter. He took the phone from a bodyguard. "Hello?"]

["Sir! This is Tony Stark!"]

[Upon hearing the name, the Vice President responded with practiced calm. "Welcome back to the land of the living!"]

[Tony dispensed with pleasantries. "We have reason to believe you may be involved in the Mandarin attacks. We need to get you to a secure location immediately!"]

[The Vice President replied dismissively, "Mr. Stark, I'm about to enjoy honey ham under the protection of elite Secret Service agents, while the President and Colonel Rhodes are safely aboard Air Force One. I believe we're all quite secure."]

[Rhodes interjected, "Sir! This is Colonel Rhodes! They plan to use the Iron Patriot as a Trojan horse to assassinate the President! We must alert the Air Force One crew immediately!"]

[The Vice President's expression subtly shifted upon hearing Rhodes' voice. He recovered quickly, responding with apparent seriousness. "I'll have security personnel take action right away. If necessary, F-22s can be on-site within thirty seconds. Thank you, Colonel."]

[Rhodes exchanged a knowing look with Tony while holding the phone. "Rhodes and Stark out." Their test of the Vice President's loyalty had yielded its answer.]

[After disconnecting, a security guard approached the Vice President. "Is everything all right, sir?"]

[The Vice President handed him the phone with a faint smile. "Absolutely not."]

[He then walked into the adjacent room, where he approached his granddaughter and kissed her forehead tenderly. "I love you, baby."]

[As the camera panned downward, it revealed the heart-wrenching truth—the little girl's right leg had been amputated below the knee.]

Seeing this, everyone immediately understood the Vice President's motivation for cooperating with Killian. The promise of Extremis's regenerative capabilities offered hope for his granddaughter's missing limb.

Yet he also knew the virus was unstable. He couldn't subject his beloved granddaughter to such a dangerous gamble without assurances. This explained his willingness to collaborate with Killian—it served both his political ambition and his desperate desire to help his granddaughter.

The two parties had reached a mutually beneficial arrangement: presidential power for the Vice President, and governmental protection for Killian's research.

Unfortunately for them both, the sky broadcast had exposed everything. Killian was already dead, and the Vice President would soon face imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.

"I almost feel sorry for him," Aunt May said softly, watching the tender moment between the Vice President and his granddaughter.

"Many villains believe they're doing the right thing," Bruce noted. "It doesn't justify their actions, but it makes them human."

"He had resources," Tony countered sharply. "He could have funded legitimate research into prosthetics or regenerative medicine. Instead, he chose to collaborate with a terrorist."

"When it's your child suffering, rational thinking often goes out the window," Uncle Ben observed. "Not an excuse, but perhaps an explanation."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," Steve added solemnly. "He compromised his oath of office and endangered countless lives, including the President's."

"And now we know why they needed the Iron Patriot," Rhodes said grimly. "They're planning to attack Air Force One—with the President on board."

"While the whole world believes it's the Mandarin," Natasha finished. "Leaving Killian free to sell his Extremis soldiers to the highest bidder in the ensuing chaos."

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