"Well… they say those shadows are what's left behind when people go to heaven," Harley said earnestly.
"And that guy—people say he did something bad, so he went to hell. That's why he doesn't have a shadow."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Do you believe that?"
Harley shrugged. "That's what everyone says."
Tony patted the kid's shoulder. "Lesson one, kid: not everything everyone believes is true."
Then he looked at Kai, his expression turning sharp. "Extremis Virus. We're on the right track."
Kai tilted his head. "You've got an idea, don't you?"
Tony nodded. "Yeah. Those flowers and candles—someone's been visiting that site regularly. If we find out who it is, we might find Killian's trail… maybe even his base."
He glanced at Harley. "Send the kid home."
But Harley immediately straightened. "No, I can help! I know where Chad Davis's mom hangs out. She's drunk in the bar almost every night."
Tony gave him a look. "Kid, it's past your bedtime."
He turned to Kai and smirked. "You take him home."
Kai sighed. "Troublesome…" He grabbed Harley by the arm and started walking him away. "Let's go. This is middle-aged people business. We young folks shouldn't interfere."
"Damn it, Kai! Docked salary!" Tony yelled after them.
Inside the bar
Tony pushed through the noisy crowd, scanning faces until he spotted an older woman in the corner, nursing a half-empty glass. She was clearly drunk.
"Mrs. Davis?" Tony asked softly as he approached.
She looked up, dazed. Tony smiled. "Mind if I sit?"
"No one's stopping you," she slurred.
"Thanks." Tony sat down, his voice calm and empathetic. "I'm sorry about your son. I just wanted to understand what happened."
Mrs. Davis's tired eyes narrowed. Without warning, she shoved a document toward him. "Here. Take it. You've been calling me about it, haven't you? Whatever's in there—it's yours now. Just don't bother me again."
Tony frowned. "You're… waiting for someone, aren't you? Someone told you to meet here?"
Her expression shifted. "Not you?"
Before Tony could answer, a woman in a black jacket appeared out of nowhere, slamming Tony face-first onto the table. She cuffed his hands behind his back.
"The person she's waiting for is me," the woman said coolly.
She hauled Tony upright, eyes flashing. "You're harder to kill than I thought, Stark. I figured you were shark food by now."
"Hey, hey—what the hell's going on here?" A burly man stormed over, flashing a sheriff's badge.
"Suspect under arrest," the woman snapped, pulling Tony behind her. "You're the sheriff here?"
"Yes, ma'am. And who the hell are you?"
She flashed an ID. "National Security Bureau."
The sheriff frowned. "That was fast. Mind showing it again? Bit more detail this time."
"That's classified, Sheriff."
"Then you can have your superior call me. Haven't heard anything about suspects in my town."
The woman's expression turned cold. "You know what? I was hoping we could handle this the easy way."
She stepped closer—and her hands suddenly flared red-hot, glowing like molten metal. In one smooth motion, she grabbed the sheriff by the throat, snatched his pistol, and opened fire on his deputies.
The bar erupted into chaos.
Mrs. Davis dove under a table, shoving the document into a hidden crack in the wall. Tony, still handcuffed, took advantage of the gunfire to make a break for it.
He sprinted out the back door, only to come face-to-face with a man standing by a black car—his skin faintly glowing, veins pulsing orange-red.
"Damn it," Tony muttered. "I knew I shouldn't have split from Kai."
He bolted toward a nearby restaurant, shattering the window and diving inside. Racing into the kitchen, he spotted a microwave. An idea hit him immediately.
Using his bound hands, Tony tossed a metal tray inside and hit start. Sparks began to flicker.
He then kicked over a barrel of oil, twisted open the gas valve, and backed toward the rear door.
When the Extremis-enhanced woman entered, Tony raised his voice, feigning confidence. "Hey! Maybe we can talk about this."
She smirked. "Talk? You think I can be bribed?"
Tony's lips curled into a grin. "Nope. Just wanted to say—"
He kicked the door open, bracing himself.
"Even if you burn yourself to ashes… you're still not a hot girl!"
The microwave sparked violently. The oil ignited instantly—flames raced across the floor, reaching the gas line.
BOOM!
The explosion ripped through the building, sending Tony flying backward. He hit the ground hard, coughing and covered in dust.
"Damn this Extremis crap…" he muttered, staggering to his feet.
Then he froze. Another man stood in front of him, gun raised, orange glow pulsing under his skin.
"Without the armor," the man sneered, "what can you do now, Stark?"
Tony flexed his sore shoulder and sighed. "Yeah, without the armor, it's tough… especially against a half-glowing goon with a pistol."
But his smirk returned as a familiar voice echoed from behind the man.
"Good thing he's not alone," Kai said, stepping out of the shadows with a lazy grin.
Tony's face lit up with relief. "You forgot one thing," he told the Extremis soldier.
"What's that?" the man snarled.
"I'm rich," Tony said, smirking. "Which means I can afford to hire a guy who slacks off all day, clocks out on time—but still kicks serious ass."
Kai cracked his knuckles, smiling. "That's me."