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*****
"Alright, I've completed the examination. They were indeed bewitched by Kull's divine power and did not act of their own free will."
After reading the memories of the eight chosen Hammer Elders, George said,
"However, these Hydra leaders have slaughtered countless people, even without being influenced. They deserve to be put to rest."
A few bursts of hellfire flicked from his fingertips. The flames instantly engulfed Baron Zemo, Baron Strucker, Madam Hydra, and the Hive, reducing them to ashes.
To George, they held no value. On the contrary, letting them live might only lead to unnecessary trouble.
It was simpler to eliminate them once and for all.
Watching the five Hydra members burn to nothing in an instant, T'Challa and his royal guards swallowed nervously.
"Mr. George… what about my father?"
"Kull has already been sealed away. Your father is only unconscious for the time being. He'll be fine once he wakes up."
George cut off T'Challa's concern with a casual remark.
"By the way, I've heard Wakanda has a vibranium mountain. The Captain's shield was made from your vibranium, right? I suppose that gives us some connection."
T'Challa was about to respond, but George continued,
"I need some vibranium for an upcoming matter. Don't worry, I'll pay market price—I won't take it for free."
"Mr. George, you defeated Kull and saved my father, which means you saved the King of Wakanda. As a token of gratitude, we would like to offer you some vibranium. Please, accept it."
Having studied in New York, T'Challa was well-versed in the outside world and highly intelligent.
He wanted to tell George that Wakanda never sold vibranium—at any price. It never left their borders. Wakanda was entirely self-sufficient, with no need for external trade.
But he didn't say it.
Because George was too powerful.
Because his father, King T'Chaka, was still in George's hands.
Because just moments ago, five Hydra leaders had been turned to ash.
It was obvious—George was no benevolent saint who let things slide. If T'Challa refused to part with some vibranium, he might not be able to take his father back. In fact, there was no guarantee they'd be allowed to leave at all.
"How could I possibly accept such a generous gift?"
George's lips curled into a faint smile.
"But since you've insisted, refusing would make me seem insincere. Very well, then.
Take your father and leave. When I need the vibranium, I'll come to Wakanda to collect it. I know… exactly where to find you."
"...A-alright…"
T'Challa forced a stiff smile as he nodded, his facial muscles twitching.
He hadn't expected George to even know the precise location of Wakanda. If he refused, there was a real chance his entire nation could be wiped out.
As the Black Panther departed in his ship, carrying the unconscious King T'Chaka and his royal guard, George turned his attention to the unconscious Aldrich Killian.
"Stop pretending. You saw what just happened. I'm debating whether to deal with you next."
"Even though you were also manipulated by Kull, you've conducted plenty of human experiments in the past. You're far from innocent."
While reading Killian's memories earlier, George had secretly cast a revival spell on him. Killian was fully conscious—just pretending to be unconscious.
Sure enough, at George's words, Killian's eyes snapped open.
"Don't kill me! The purpose of my experiments was to help disabled people regenerate lost limbs—to benefit humanity! The participants were all disabled veterans, and they volunteered!"
"Is that so?"
George smirked.
"Because what I saw in your memories tells a very different story.
You weren't trying to help the disabled—you were trying to create an army of Extremis-enhanced soldiers. First, you wanted revenge on Tony. Then, you planned to take control of the United States. Eventually, you aimed to rule the entire world—to become the most powerful man alive.
If anyone had noble intentions, it was Maya Hansen, not you."
With just a few words, George shattered Killian's feeble excuse.
At that moment, Tony spoke up, frowning in confusion.
"Wait a second… Who the hell are you? And why do you hate me so much? I don't recall ever offending you."
"Stark, you arrogant bastard! You don't even remember me?!"
Enraged, Killian's body flared with molten heat. He lunged at Tony, but before he could move an inch, George casually froze him in place with a flick of magic.
"He's Aldrich Killian," George explained.
Then, he briefly recounted the story.
Back in 1999, on New Year's Eve, Killian had been an admirer of Tony Stark. That night, while Stark was in Bern, Switzerland, celebrating, Killian had gone there in hopes of securing Stark's investment for his Extremis project under Advanced Idea Mechanics.
Back then, Tony was too eager to get in bed with Dr. Maya Hansen, so he brushed Killian off with an empty promise, telling him to wait for him on the rooftop.
Killian stood in the freezing night for hours, but Tony never showed. When he finally realized he'd been played, despair nearly drove him to jump to his death.
In the end, he had a change of heart. Instead of ending his life, he decided to push forward with his research and one day take revenge for Tony's humiliation.
The next day, he sought out Dr. Hansen—who, after spending the night with Tony, had still failed to secure funding for her Extremis research. Under the pretense of helping her find investors and aiding disabled people, Killian convinced her to refine the Extremis virus with him.
"Alright, I admit it. My personality was pretty awful back then, and I hurt you," Tony said after hearing the story.
He finally remembered the events from twelve years ago and offered Killian an apology.
But Killian was clearly unmoved.
Off to the side, Wolverine quipped, "Honestly, your personality hasn't improved much."
"Not enough to warrant death, but letting him go would be a hassle."
After a brief thought, George tossed Killian into a containment cube.
Releasing him outright was out of the question. Handing him over to the government was also a bad idea—George feared they'd mass-produce Extremis-enhanced soldiers and create even bigger problems.
For now, Killian would stay locked up until George decided what to do with him.
In truth, George had some interest in the Extremis virus.
It enhanced physical strength, though that was of little importance to him—his body was already incredibly powerful.
It granted extreme heat resistance and the ability to generate and control fire, which could slightly augment his own fire magic.
But neither of those truly excited him.
What caught his attention was the virus's unparalleled regenerative ability.
Lost limbs? They could regrow in seconds as long as the body wasn't completely obliterated.
To be honest, despite his immense physical strength and even his ability to transform into a dragon, if his arm were severed, he wouldn't be able to regrow it on his own.
At best, he could reattach it using healing magic.
The Harry Potter world had potions that could regenerate lost limbs, but they required magical ingredients unique to that world—materials he couldn't find elsewhere.
So now he was seriously considering it—should he inject himself with the Extremis virus?
If he did, his survivability would take another major leap forward.
(End of Chapter)