"You mean," Kai asked, arms crossed, "you actually want to find Killian out here… and take him down for good?"
Tony grinned. "Exactly!"
He pushed himself up from the armor wreckage, eyes burning with determination.
"If we don't finish that psycho once and for all, then whether I'm at Stark Industries or in one of my villas—"
He paused, gesturing dramatically. "There's always a chance he'll hit us again."
"This time you saved me and Pepper," Tony continued, his tone darkening. "But what about next time? Or the time after that?"
He spread his hands helplessly. "I can't give that bastard any chance to hurt Pepper again—not even a one-in-a-million."
Kai sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You're a real handful, you know that? Fine. Quadruple bonus and salary—after taxes. Let's fix this."
Tony smirked. "Deal."
"But," Kai added, holding up two fingers, "we've got two problems.
First—where's Killian?
Second—you need a place to fix that pile of scrap you call a suit."
"That's not a problem!" Tony declared proudly, thumping his chest. "I'm the greatest genius of this century! Give me a garage and some tools, and I'll rebuild the whole damn suit."
He snapped his fingers. "Also—before Jarvis powered down, I told him to compile data on all recent suicide bombings. Believe me, once I'm up and running again, I'll find Killian."
With that, Tony handed one end of a rope to Kai and began dragging the crippled armor through the snow.
Kai stared at him. "I regret coming to find you already."
"Come on, man," Tony said, grinning over his shoulder. "Your bonus is already five times bigger this month. Don't even think about asking for more!"
"You stingy billionaire!" Kai shot back.
"You lazy punk!" Tony countered.
Their bickering echoed through the snow as they trudged along, dragging the damaged Mark 42 behind them. Under the pale moonlight, their shadows stretched long across the white field.
Meanwhile — Kai's Apartment
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Alice, dressed elegantly and holding a birthday cake and a bottle of red wine, stood knocking on Kai's door.
Today was her birthday.
She'd planned the evening perfectly—birthday cake, fine wine, and maybe a little… deeper conversation with Kai.
In her mind, she had everything going for her: stunning looks, a gorgeous figure, and youthful charm. Surely that was enough to tempt an eighteen-year-old guy like Kai, right?
But after several minutes of knocking—nothing. Silence.
Her expression soured. "Unbelievable," she muttered, stomping her foot in frustration.
"All I wanted was one chance to seduce that guy—why is it so damn hard?"
Disappointed, she turned to leave, cake and wine in hand—only to spot a neighbor on the stairs leering at her like a creep.
"Ugh!" she snapped, flipping him off before storming away.
Public Phone Booth — Tennessee
Tony approached the booth, eyeing Kai suspiciously. "No eavesdropping."
Kai smirked. "Relax. Who'd want to listen to an old man groveling to his girlfriend?"
Tony squinted at him, clearly debating whether to respond.
He finally just muttered, "One day, I swear I'm deducting every penny of your salary…" and stepped into the booth.
He lifted the receiver, hesitating for a long moment before dialing.
He knew that if Pepper heard his voice, she'd call him back immediately.
So instead, he dialed the number linked to his secure server—one that would send a message directly to the Iron Man helmet display back at home.
He pressed "Record."
"Pepper, it's me."
"I should've apologized to you a long time ago… but you know me. I never do the smart thing first."
Tony exhaled, his breath fogging in the booth.
"First off, it was selfish—and stupid—of me to put you in danger. I promise, I won't do that again. Ever."
"Second, remember the giant stuffed rabbit I gave you for Christmas? You were right—it's ridiculous. That's on me for not thinking it through."
He paused, his tone softening.
"And I'm sorry in advance, because I can't come home right now. I have to find Killian. I have to make sure you're safe."
Tony glanced down at the blanket draped over his shoulders, then back at the phone.
"Don't worry about me. Kai found me. And as much as I hate to admit it—seeing him there actually made me feel… relieved."
"So, don't worry, okay? As long as Kai and I are working together, we're going to end this."
He hesitated again—his hand unconsciously brushing the small ring box in his pocket.
"After this is over… after Killian's gone… I'll come back to you. That's a promise."
He ended the call.
Stepping out of the booth, Tony took a deep breath and looked at Kai.
"Alright, buddy. Let's find a garage and patch up the Mark 42."
"Then," Tony grinned, "let's show Killian what real power looks like."
New York — Stark's Villa
Pepper sat on the sofa eyes fixed on the TV as the news droned on.
"Breaking news: Tony Stark, presumed dead after the Malibu explosion—"
Click.
She switched channels. Same report.
Click. Another.
Finally, she turned the TV off completely, her expression tight.
"Would you two like something to drink?" she asked softly, forcing a polite smile at Steve and Natasha.
Both shook their heads. Neither spoke. They knew she was barely holding it together.
Natasha's satellite search had confirmed Tony's armor crash site—but no sign of Tony himself. Even with Kai's assurance that he was alive, Pepper couldn't stop worrying.
Steve opened his mouth to comfort her—when suddenly, a sharp beep echoed through the room.
All three turned toward the display cabinet.
The Iron Man helmet inside was flashing red.
Pepper ran over instantly, opened the case, and put on the helmet.
"Stark secure server — retinal scan active."
A soft chime.
And then—Tony's voice filled her ears.
"Pepper, it's me."
Pepper froze. Her eyes welled up. For the first time in days, the tension in her chest broke.
Natasha and Steve exchanged a look, then quietly approached, as Pepper listened word for word to Tony's message—completely unaware of anything else around her.