Tony scanned the document he'd been handed. It was AIM company information. He flipped through a few pages—names, photos—nothing that stood out at first glance.
Kai didn't see much either.
"That's the key!" Tony said, taking the notebook. Using S.H.I.E.L.D.'s satellite access, he hacked into AIM's database and unlocked the file's permissions. He clicked on a profile link.
A video played: a retired soldier being interviewed. The nameplate read Chad Davis—the man who'd blown himself up last night and killed five others.
In the footage, Chad Davis, a disabled man, sat in a chair. Behind the camera, Killian's voice asked, "What is the most crucial moment in your life?"
Chad answered, "I think it was the day I decided not to let my injury defeat me."
"So, are you ready to embrace your new life?"
"Of course, sir. I can't wait to welcome the new students!"
Tony clicked another video. This one showed a woman missing her right arm—the same woman who'd attacked Tony yesterday, though her arm had been intact during the attack. The camera turned and Killian appeared.
"Say your name to the camera."
"Alan Brandy!"
"I will inject you with AIM's latest drug, which will allow you to regain a full life," Killian declared.
"You who were once abandoned and physically disabled will now become pioneers—the final link in the evolution of mankind! When you look back on your life when you're old, nothing will be more memorable than being one of the first selected for this experiment!"
The footage cut between shots of people with various physical disabilities strapped to examination beds. AIM staff injected them with the Extremis virus.
The injected convulsed and groaned in pain, but their broken bodies slowly began to regenerate under the virus's energy.
Then, one man tied to a bed screamed. His entire body radiated extreme heat—as if magma flowed beneath his skin. Killian ordered everyone out. Moments later, the unlucky man detonated.
When the video ended, Tony shut the laptop. "I have to admit—Killian's a genius. His work with Dr. Maya Hansen created the Extremis virus."
"Unfortunately, it doesn't always work."
"The ones who succeed become his most loyal followers."
Kai picked at the last cheeseburger as Tony spoke. "Why do I feel like there's regret in your tone?" he asked.
"It's not regret," Tony said. "It's a waste that Maya Hansen collaborated with Killian. Reminds me of Helen Zhao and her regenerative cradle tech—brilliant stuff wasted on this lunatic."
They tossed the breakfast bags and trash away.
"Do you know where Killian's hiding?" Kai asked.
"I hacked an AIM satellite—buried in a tiny corner of their network, I found coordinates." Tony opened his repaired armor case. "I contacted Pepper. She'll cover damages to the stores and people hit last night in Stark Industries' name. Your salary and bonus for the month have been transferred too. So—ready to come to Miami and beat the crap out of Killian?"
"For the sake of this month's dollars," Kai shrugged.
Half an hour later, over a heavily guarded Miami manor.
Patrolmen, fully armed, circled the grounds. Tony, in the Mark 42 armor, hovered beside Kai. "Kai, want to see who can take these guys out first?"
"Where's the prize?" Kai asked.
"One hundred thousand dollars?" Tony grinned.
Kai's eyes lit up. "Deal."
"Get ready. Three, two, one—"
Tony launched the armor into a dive.
Countless dazzling lights erupted behind them.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Photons blasted from Kai's hand. In an instant, explosions rippled across the manor. The patrolmen outside were obliterated by the power of Yasakani no Magatama.
Tony halted mid-dive. "You cheated! You said we'd see who could take them out first—you didn't say we had to go in hand-to-hand!"
"Cheat all you want," Kai said, unfazed.
Tony swore, then piloted the armor into the manor.
Inside the manor, Killian's aide reported urgently, "Sir—more Extremis-injected people have been sent to state capitals to self-destruct. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. will be distracted by the attacks. AIM's closure was hasty—many of our latest technologies and equipment didn't transfer."
Killian barely glanced up. The loss of instruments and data meant little to him.
The New York trip hadn't fully satisfied Tony Stark's revenge, but Killian had struck a deep cooperation deal with Madame Hydra. Ophelia had ensured his escape from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reach.
Able to deepen ties with Hydra—even at AIM's cost—Killian considered the trip a success.
"Is the actor ready?" he asked with a cruel smile.
"He's memorized his lines and is ready for the recording," the subordinate replied.
"Then do it," Killian said, curling the edge of his mouth. "S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to arrest me, Tony wants vengeance. Since everyone's so eager to deal with me, let's add fuel to the fire."
"It's not enough to cause panic with suicide bombings," he continued. "Capture the Vice President—someone will step in during the chaos."
"Yes, sir!" the subordinate answered without hesitation. Even if Killian promised to overthrow the country one day, that man would follow without a second thought.